


Frost

by Latteralpine8



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, Wolf AU, Wolf Pack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-04-29 07:54:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 50,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14468277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latteralpine8/pseuds/Latteralpine8
Summary: 9 wolves and one hell of an interminable winter





	1. Introduction

 

This is **NOT**  a werewolf fic but just a purely wolf fic

The world is lacking in Twice wolf au so i thought y not

Here are some basic info like Twice’s ranks and roles within the pack:

 **Nayeon** : β-beta, co-leader/ambassador  
**Jungyeon** : β-beta, co-leader/pack guardian  
**Momo** : α-alpha, lead hunter  
**Sana** : ω-omega, supplier/den keeper  
**Jihyo** : α-alpha, leader  
**Mina** : γ-gamma, hunter  
**Dahyun** : β-beta, lead scout/co-ambassador  
**Chaeyoung** : δ-delta, medic/scout  
**Tzuyu** : δ-delta, hunter/scout

I just want to say that i planned it to be a pretty epic fic, but it just turned into a survival story with soft big dogs so yeh

enjoy ;P


	2. Encounter

Winter came early this year. The temperature dropped below freezing in just four hours. Snowfalls began to flood the Ivic region until the entire landscape was completely drowned in white. The sky grew grayer and daylight became limited. With creeks frozen and trees burdened with the heavy coat of snow on their branches, wildlife within the region began to panic. Large herbivores hastened to make their migration while hibernators scurried to hide themselves away from the winter chills. The Ivic Territory was trapped in an atmosphere full of urgency and turmoil. Predators grew more desperate due to the decreasing number of prey, but standing among them was one powerful she-wolf. Though she shared the same struggle as any other predator, her luck seemed to never end.

 

She was a lone wolf, wandering near the Beartooth mountain range to the east of the Ivic region. Her large eyes glowed a majestic emerald green, and she wore a rocky tawny coat—a delicate mixture of gray, brown, and white. She was three years old with two minor scars decorating her left thigh, reflecting her advanced fighting experiences in the wild. Jihyo was her name, and she had searched two seasons now for a new home. As the prey population shrank, she was left with no choice but to head west.

 

At dawn, Jihyo was lucky enough to catch a small rabbit for breakfast. The kill was slim and didn’t make much of a meal, but it wasn’t like she could complain. With the meat dangling in her jaw, Jihyo carried it into the cover of the trees. When she was sheltered by the shades of the grove, her fangs dove straight into the soft belly of the kill. Warm blood filled her mouth as she chewed on the tender flesh, swallowing quick but satisfying bites. Her powerful jaw effectively ripped and tore the rabbit, separating muscles from bones in less than a few minutes. The hair on her back rose at a lofty angle as she was hunched over, a defensive position that enlarged her body size to scare off a possible thief. She fed for about thirty minutes, leaving little to no meat uneaten. Satisfied but not fully sated, Jihyo licked her chops before abandoning the leftover bones for the ravens.

 

While exiting the forest area and back into the snowy field, she was hit with a sudden wave of lethargy, perhaps because of the digesting meal. Her paws were sore from all the exercising she’d done—from locating the bunny to chasing it—and the morning frost only add onto her weariness. On the corner of her eyes, she spotted a rather flat rock a few feet away. It was lodged on a high slope in the field, a few feet near the frozen riverbank. The Ivic river was a winding waterway that dispersed itself across the region, connecting different territories and leading their water back to the sea to the north. Jihyo frowned slightly at the mini hill that she needed to climb in order to get up to the rock, but the lingering taste of blood in her mouth fueled her onward. She worked hard this morning, so a short nap should do her no harm.

 

Around two hours into her slumber, Jihyo was awoken by a sharp scent. It was of another wolf, a beta female to be exact, and it was enough to send Jihyo scrambling to her feet. Her motion was so rapid that if it wasn’t for the grip of her claws, she would have fallen right off the rock. According to her nostrils, the other canine was dangerously close. Still a little half-asleep, Jihyo blinked twice and shook her coat to free herself from the drowsiness. Once she regained a better consciousness, she scanned the pasture below to identify the stranger. The smell was quickly getting overwhelming, but there was nothing within her sight. Jihyo squinted and kept searching until the crunching of snow reached her ears. Immediately, she spun around on her heels to find the scent’s owner and bared her pearly white fangs in a vicious snarl.

 

The other canine flinched at the aggressive front and instinctively lowered its head in submission. Jihyo knew her advantage as an alpha, so she took small steps forward, teeth still visible. The other she-wolf, though older by half a year according to her scent, tucked both her ears and tail back, retreating as Jihyo came closer. The alpha continued until she was midway down the slope, stopping for a moment to reconsider the situation. The beta wolf looked harmless enough, but Jihyo did not understand why she was not running away. There was no kill here to steal, and unless she owned this rock—though the idea seemed outlandish because there was no scent mark anywhere—the stranger had no reason to remain. The tawny alpha had no intention to kill a wolf if it poses no threat to her, besides the harsh winter was already wiping out most of her kind. Jihyo quit snarling, but she was far from relaxed. The other canine slowly regained her normal position, hesitating when the alpha’s tail shot upright to discourage her from any suspicious intentions. The beta wolf crept closer and wagged her tail lightly, head dipping in respect. Jihyo was unsure of where this was going—it actually had been a while since she was this close to another wolf. Still, she gave the beta some credit for her boldness and fixed her posture to appear taller. The stranger was cautious but made no effort of retreating, nor did she seemed slightly threatened. If anything, it was Jihyo that was growing a little nervous.

 

“S-stop.” The alpha ordered when she realized that the other she-wolf was close to entering her personal space. “What are you trying to do?”

 

This halted the beta, and she angled her ears curiously. “You don’t look like a pack wolf.”

 

_ ‘That’s not what I’m asking but ok.’  _ Jihyo stared sharply into the older canine’s golden orbs.

 

“That’s because I’m not.” The tawny alpha replied, trying hard to not sound awkward because she honestly hadn’t spoken to anybody for so long.

 

The beta chuckled heartily. “I see. That’s why you have a bit of the loner’s stiffness.”

 

“The what?” Jihyo crocked her head.

 

“Nothing.” The other wolf shook hers.

 

Now that Jihyo was close enough, she noticed that beta seemed to sparkle in the morning sunlight. Her fur was a sandy beige color with a tint of brown shading her underbelly. What stood out to Jihyo was the silvery highlights that outlined her back, running from the crest of her head to the tip of her tail. There was also some silver along her neck.

 

“It must be tough to be out here alone this winter.” The beta remarked abruptly.

 

“It is.” Jihyo nodded. “U-um, do you want something?”

 

The older eyed her weirdly. “No…”

 

“Then is there any reason at all why you’re here?”

 

“No, but I do understand where you’re getting at. I have a habit of approaching strangers out of curiosity.”

 

Jihyo blinked twice to make sure she was processing this information properly. Such a reason was quite suspicious but then again, she really had nothing to lose. She lived a free life without any pack, territory, or special valuables. Maybe this stranger was luring her into a trap, however, she was sure that she would definitely win a fight between them. She felt that a wolf this sociable must belong to a pack, but the beta wasn’t wearing any other scent aside from her own. She seemed to know where she was going, and she was too old to be naive which left Jihyo to question her intentions all over again.

 

“I’m a nomad and I tend to reach out to passerbys. Don’t be so distraught.” The other she-wolf seemed to have read her conflicted mind. “I’m Nayeon, by the way.”

 

“Jihyo.” The alpha answered.

 

Though it did sound bizzare, it made sense to build connections to aid one’s survival in this frigid winter. Actually, Jihyo thought it was a pretty clever strategy.

 

“So, you also don’t have a pack?” The younger tried to confirm.

 

Nayeon turned to walk down the slope and for some reason, Jihyo followed. “Nope. I’m nomadic enough to not belong to any, however, I do take refuge in friendly packs if desperate occasions arise.”

 

“That’s what approaching random strangers are for, huh?”

 

“Well, that’s one way to look at it.” Nayeon laughed. “It’s nicer to face the world with friends.”

 

“That is just super hypercritical to what you just told me.”

 

“Well, I am a complex creature.” The beta simply flicked her tail and galloped towards the river.

 

It was strange for a loner like Jihyo to be wasting her time talking to this even stranger wolf. But then again, Nayeon did have a very attractive personality. Her smile was pleasant and overall, she was a very friendly wolf. Even her walk gave such an energy that it made her look ten times younger than her actual age. A peculiar creature indeed.

 

“Are you planning to go somewhere?” Nayeon stopped by the riverbank.

 

“West. I don’t really know what’s there, but it’s worth a try.”

 

“You’re off exploring? So, you haven’t been a loner all your life? Is it because of some twisted backstory?”

 

Jihyo snorted. “Not really. It’s been roughly a year since I set foot out of Hesterfield.”

 

“Ah, you’re from the south? You’re a city wolf?”

 

“No, but I have seen hunters.” The alpha’s eyes turned grim, and she hoped Nayeon didn’t catch that.

 

“Humans take plenty of things from us. I wouldn’t be surprised if they ruined your family.” Of course, the beta read her mind again and even went to correctly predict her past.

 

“They killed my parents, which left me to care for five other pups. Then, I guess they decided to leave too.” Jihyo’s voice darkened, and she finished with a low growl.

 

Nayeon gazed at her with soft golden eyes that seemed to glow like gentle sun rays. There was sympathy in her eyes, and the alpha didn’t know why, but it was very comforting.

 

“I’m sure they all lead great lives.” The beta’s voice was clear yet soft. “They grew up with a great wolf.”

 

Jihyo took the compliment to heart, but it was odd that she’d shared her family sorrow with total a stranger whom she just met five minutes ago. Nevertheless, she shrugged it off as one of the many unexplainable phenomenons of life. Next to her, Nayeon leaped onto the ice sheet covering the river with her front legs, cracking a hole as her feet went through. She quickly yanked her wet paws out, then lapped up the frosty water.

 

“I do encourage you to head north. There’s a valley lodged within the mountains. If you have keen eyes, you might be able to find the way into it.” Nayeon informed at her final gulp.

 

“What do I need there?”

 

“Well, it’s a fine place. A secure and defensive spot that makes a good home for a pack.”

 

“Do I look like I need a pack?”

 

“No, but you do look like you’re capable of leading one.” Nayeon winked. “Take it how you want it, but I’m just putting it out there. Adventure is good once in a while.”

 

“Well, I have other things to worry about like my survival. I’m not going to risk my life for fun.”

 

“Fair enough.”

 

Jihyo looked at the older wolf, then down at the water in the ice hole. She stared at herself for a few seconds before bursting out a dry laughter.

 

“I’m just saying.” Nayeon reminded and shrugged.

 

**~~***~~**

 

Dusk soon came when the sun was nearly halfway down the horizon, signaling the end of another day. Wind speed increased, and the trees shook with the same intensity that they were swayed, producing a chorus of rustling in the woodlands. Dark clouds piled in from the sea above the Ivic region, depositing a mild wave of large crystal snowflakes onto the landscape. On the eastside of Jayrock Territory, two wolves hurried to take refuge within the grove. It was warmer there and way better than spending the night out in the open tundra.

 

Nayeon kept her nose glued to the ground the entire way, sniffing so hard that she stopped to sneeze a couple of times. Jihyo eventually joined her, mainly because she felt bad for the beta’s situation. Nayeon hadn’t eaten in three days. The two had been chasing lemmings and hares for the entire day, still they remained empty-handed no matter their effort. Jihyo tried to formulate some quality teamwork between them, but she had to be honest that Nayeon wasn’t a very good hunter. The older had a hard time coordinating when the prey tried to divert her directions. She was too slow to regain focus, and her stiff crouching position didn’t help either. The beta was a messy hunter, so Jihyo quickly ran out of ways to help her. Despite the failures, all that hunting formed an interesting bond between the two.

 

They were now at the grove where Jihyo last ate her meal, and the sharp smell of pine trees was dense in the air. Nayeon let out another sneeze as they entered the forest, scaring away an unexpected ptarmigan hidden in trees. The bird flapped its wings frantically and took off, leaving the two wolves to watch with crushing disappointment. Nayeon shook her head with a frustrating guttural growl. Jihyo led them deeper into the grove until she found a cozy spot under three towering pine trees. While the beta scanned the area desperately for dinner, the tawny alpha made a convenient bed out of pine needles and a couple of sticks. The night sky settled in with a steadier wind speed, allowing the snowflakes to fall soundlessly down. The trees provided a good shelter from the snow, and Jihyo curled herself down on the makeshift bed with a yawn. She laid her head on her paws, peering out at Nayeon in the corner of her eyes. The beta was wagging her tail as she dug out some snow under a tree adjacent to Jihyo’s position. The alpha watched her friend with droopy eyes, but then Nayeon let out a piercing sharp yelp that shook her awake.

 

“What are you doing?” Jihyo uttered, studying the beta’s frantic movements as she shook in various directions.

 

There was no reply, which made the alpha even more confused. She could only lay there, watching as Nayeon’s body twisted and turned until it crashed back into ground. The beta looked like she was being pulled, and Jihyo wondered if she should help the struggling wolf or not. Fortunately, the alpha did not have time to decide, because Nayeon was already up from the forest floor with one excited tail. The beta turned around and jogged back to Jihyo with a wide grin. A chubby lemming was lodged between the older’s jaw, its limbs dangling off her bloody snout.

 

“Finally.” Jihyo chuckled, scooting over to make space for her delighted friend.

 

“Nothing a little patience cannot beat.” The beta commented, setting down the kill between her front paws.

 

She dug right into the meal without batting an eye at Jihyo. Her golden eyes glimpsed a desperate hunger, one that the tawny alpha knew so well. Her orbs were fixated on the lemming as she tore it to bits, barely even chewing anymore. Nayeon was beyond hungry—she was starving. It was quite rude to interrupt an empty predator in the midst of her supper, so Jihyo tucked her paws one more time and closed her eyes.

 

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been sleeping until a warm body shuffled next to her. One of her eyes opened, and she saw the beta settling down besides her. Nayeon plopped down clumsily, licking her chops then paws before curling up like her companion. Her muzzle smelled like blood, and Jihyo was suddenly reminded of how her rabbit from this morning was just a snack.

 

_ ‘I’ll get something tomorrow.’  _ She calmed herself.

 

Suddenly, her sleepiness had drifted off elsewhere, leaving her wide awake. Her ears twitched when she heard the owls, then the crickets from within the depth of the grove. She shot her eyes opened irritably, shifting to a reposition herself on her side. The few snowflakes that made it past the tops of the pine trees landed on her belly, making her shiver. Off she went to move again, this time stretched out on her belly with paws crossed. That didn’t help her restless state either, and Jihyo pulled back her ears with an annoyed growl. She noticed—felt almost—a smile forming on the corners of Nayeon’s lips. 

 

“Something’s keeping you up?” The beta inquired.

 

“I just can’t sleep.” The alpha placed her head on her paws for the second time.

 

“Why not? If you sleep, you can dream of someone special.” The older winked.

 

Jihyo cringed and rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

 

“No? Don’t you ever think of those things?”

 

“Think of what?”

 

“I don’t know. Meeting the love of your life, starting a pack, you know life milestones.”

 

“You have odd dreams for a loner.”

 

“I don’t want to be a loner all my life, you know.” Nayeon rolled on her back with paws on Jihyo’s spine. “I just want to spend my life searching for things like that.”

 

“I honestly don’t understand you.”

 

“You don’t have to. As long as you don’t kick me out, I’m fine with anything.”

 

“Well, whether you leave or not is your choice. I don’t decide that.”

 

“I’m just glad that you didn’t rip my tongue out when we first met.” Nayeon giggled.

 

Jihyo thought it was pretty endearing. “I’m not a murderer.”

 

“I know.” The beta faced her with a gummy grin, and her golden eyes glowed like stars in the darkness.

 

Nayeon flipped all the way, then got on top of the alpha’s back to nipple at her ears. Jihyo moved her neck in an attempt to throw her off, but the beta only yanked playfully harder.

 

“Geez, just go to sleep already!” The younger whined.

 

“But you can’t!” Nayeon let her free. “Come, let me sing you a lullaby.”

 

“What? No, I’m n-“

 

The older was already starting to throw her head back and howled. Before Jihyo could think of stopping her, the sound of Nayeon’s voice made her speechless. Her pitch was controlled, producing a rich and most melodic song ever known to the alpha’s ears. It was harmonious but soft—the perfect lullaby. Jihyo watched the beta’s eyebrows narrowed before another gentle highnote slipped into the quiet night. Nayeon’s voice truly shocked her, not just because it was beautiful, but also because it was soothing. She became so mesmerized in the tune of the melody that she didn’t realize she was howling too. Their voices blended well together, not overlapping nor overpowering each other. There was a strange balance between them. Whenever Nayeon brought it too high, Jihyo would bring it back down again, creating this equal pitch that seemed to flow comfortably into the grove.

 

The lullaby came to an end when both of their mouths were parched dry. Jihyo licked her lips, settling back down with a weary sigh that came out as a puff of clear smoke. It was getting late, and the temperature was clearly dropping. Nayeon flopped down next to her, heaving in whiff of air. Jihyo suddenly made eye-contact with her, swaying her tail in a suggestive motion. The older took a little while to react, perhaps because she was quite bewildered at the gesture. Almost hesitatingly, Nayeon scooted over to lay beside the alpha. The share of heat was comforting, and her eyelids were lowering slowly.

 

“Are you going to leave in the morning?” Jihyo abruptly asked.

 

“Yeah.” Nayeon nudged her friend teasingly. “Why? Are you growing attached?”

 

“You’re unbelievable.”

 

The beta chuckled. “Will you miss me?”

 

“Nope.”


	3. Found

Jihyo woke up with a long stretch, paws folding while her jaw gaped to endure a full yawn. She blinked but hesitated to get up. She hadn’t slept this well in a while, and the warmth of the pine needle bed kept her lingering for a few more minutes. She licked her paws, glancing at the snow before reminding herself of the day’s worth of work. Finally, her legs moved to lift herself up. Her fur was quite damp due to the snowflakes from last night, and she shook idly. Her eyes wandered to a spot in the pine nettle bed next to her. Having to find it empty, the alpha dipped her head knowingly. Nayeon had left many hours ago, according to the faintness her scent was. Jihyo walked out of the shades and made her way out of the grove. Though it was pretty warm here, she wasn’t too fond of being surrounded by trees. She felt that they limit her view, making hunting an absolute nightmare.

 

Jihyo raised her head to the sky when she was in the open again. The sun was high above, embracing the landscape with its warm rays. It was noon, and it was rare for her to had slept this late. She felt lighter as she padded along the snowy terrain, increasing her speed north. Something strange was pulling her to that magnetic direction, and she couldn’t help it but to follow.

 

_‘A passage to a valley behind the mountains, huh?’_ Jihyo recalled from yesterday’s talk. _‘She better not be bluffing.’_

 

For the most part, Nayeon seemed like a wolf who knew what she was doing. It wasn’t just her age that proved that, but also her ability to point out correct landmarks when Jihyo went hunting with her. It was nearly like she’d memorized the entire Ivic region by heart. It was unlikely and in fact, the tawny alpha didn’t want to think that Nayeon would lure her into a trap. Despite the beta’s youthful nature, she had a pretty firm grip on her life. Jihyo, on the other hand, was somewhat clueless of what she wanted to do. Her main goal was to survive, but Nayeon’s words still stuck with her. Shaking her head, she decided to screw it and find the passage if there was one. It didn’t necessarily make her situation any better, but the promise of new prey pulled at her interest. Suddenly, her nose twitched as it picked up blood in the distance. The alpha halted to scan the snowy plains but saw nothing. Her ears shot up in awareness, listening for movements as her paws moved to wherever the scent led her.

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

Nayeon breathed heavily, tongue dangling as she struggled to keep going. Her paws were numb, but she refused to stop. She needed to eat, to find anything that could save her for a couple of days. The little snack from last night had definitely burned off, leaving her increasingly desperate for anything edible. She was still in Jayrock Territory, walking along its southwestern borders to be exact. The plains ahead seemed endless, but the hunger drove her on. She supposed she could go west to enter Raindrop Meadow. The terrain of the territory, if Nayeon could recall properly, was mainly a barren field. It certainly made the place colder in winters such as this one, but it did make a great grazing ground for caribou herds. Nayeon remembered running into one before there, a group of fifteen that seemed to have missed the annual migration. If she was lucky enough, maybe they would still be around.

 

Nayeon only realized how exhausted she was when she tripped and fell down the slope leading into the meadow. She landed softly thanks to the snow and rose to her feet after a few stumbles. This was bad. She felt her strength slowly being drained, despite being so far away from any sources of food. The beta stepped back and took a few seconds to re-establish her previous pace. When she did enter the territory, she realized that the meadow was not a no man’s land. The mixed scents of wolves reminded her that the territory was owned by a rather large pack—the Ice Whiskers. They had been around for about a year, and Nayeon even had the honor of meeting their alpha once. It was just another summer day of venturing for the beta when she came across the meadow, accidentally running into its leader when they drank from the same lake. Their alpha’s coat was a mixture of silver and navy blue, and her stunning gray eyes struck Nayeon hard. The beta swore Taeyeon was one of the most mystical wolf she had ever seen. Nayeon was able to talk with her, learning her very reasonable policy for wanderers. Since her pack ruled over the largest territory in the region, they would restrain from attacking any loners outside the perimeter of their camp. The walk with Taeyeon was incredible, but Nayeon didn’t stay long. She was kind of overwhelmed by the alpha’s occult presence. Her smile alone made Nayeon’s heart skipped a beat.

 

At last, something interesting afar caught Nayeon’s eyes and attention. Her weary paws found new strength as she ran across the field to the red patch that she hoped was a carcass. Her heart leaped when the fresh blood filled her nostrils, and it didn’t take long before she arrived next to the kill. A ripped open ptarmigan, half eaten but still covered with enough leftover meat to stomach. It appeared that she still had some chances of survival after all. Nayeon wasted no time before digging in, grabbing any visible bits of meat she could find and chewed as quickly as possible. The meat was tangy but satisfying, enough to calm Nayeon’s fierce hunger. Unfortunately, the beta didn’t get to finish her third bite when she was completely knocked off her feet.

 

A sharp stinging pain ripped through her left thigh, sending her tumbling forward. She landed on her face and although the snow did soften her fall, Nayeon felt a blunt scratch across her muzzle. The beta scrambled to her feet, turning around to face her threat. A deafening screech rang in her ears and before she could react, a bundle of golden feathers swooped down from the sky to seize her left heel. Nayeon snarled, attempting to tackle the eagle but was pushed down when its talons penetrated near her bleeding thigh wound from earlier. She yelped sharply, kicked back with all she had left before freeing herself from the raptor’s grip. Her left leg felt numb, but she managed to fumble far enough away from the golden eagle. The raptor picked up its kill and took to the sky while Nayeon watched bitterly.

 

This was very bad. She glanced at her rear, licking where the bird had raked three deep marks within her thigh. At once, the beta made a decision to go back to the grove. Droplets of blood fell and stained the snow with every step she took, but Nayeon knew better than to stop. Being wounded in the open was a sign of vulnerability, and that was very attractive to any desperate predators like herself. Nayeon swallowed the pain as she climbed the slope, dragging her injured leg helplessly behind. Going up the mini hill was like climbing an entire mountain.

 

She went pretty far for a wolf who was starving and nearly bleeding to death. In front of her was the familiar nestle of trees, a sight so close yet so far away. She hung her head and gritted her teeth. Her head was pounding as loud as her heart, but she gathered all her muscles to go forth.

 

_‘A little more, just a little more.’_ Nayeon chanted in her head.

 

Then, her vision blurred and grew fuzzy. The trees seemed to have doubled in size, moving towards her with crackling branches. Her footing wavered, and she halted to huff in all the air her lungs could hold. All fours of her limbs felt lifeless, but she growled lowly as if to encourage them. She knew it was pretty pathetic at this point.

 

_‘Come on, Nayeon!’_ Her head seemed to shout.

 

The smell of pine trees comforted her as she crawled closer, aimlessly and painfully. She didn’t really know what to do next if she made it to the safety of the grove. She couldn’t even properly concentrate on her coordinations, which was taking way too much energy from her battering head. The beta was limping with a wound, an empty stomach, and no plan as she inched aimlessly towards the trees.

 

Nayeon stopped again when she heard something within the trees. She noticed pair of glowing red-orange orbs in between the pines, but the dimness of her vision made her unsure if it was just an illusion. To be safe, the beta decided to stray away from it. She took one step backwards and bumped her back into hard wood. Surprised, she quickly shifted her position away from the tree. The eyes came closer, revealing a large shadow that was as tall as an adolescent bear. Nayeon snarled thoughtlessly at it, showing her pearly whites to compensate for the fact that she was losing her balance. The shadow did not stop coming and the more Nayeon tried to get away, the more erratic her footing became. She tumbled at one point, then lost balance completely and tipped over awkwardly. The world turned black before she could get back up again.

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

The warmth around her reminded Nayeon of the summer. She thought back to the green fields freed of snow, where a vibrant variety of flowers bloomed and blossomed. This was the time when she could roam the world without any worries, taking in all its wonders and glory. There was such a plentiful surplus of prey that the competition between predators was mild. Life was simpler then, more enjoyable according to Nayeon’s standards. In fact, all the other winters were way better than this one.

 

A sudden ache brought Nayeon back to the dreadful and cold reality of her world. She flinched when another stabbing throb ran through her leg, fluttering her eyes to her very dark surroundings. Her throat felt very dry, and there was an odd irritation in her nose that caused her to sneeze. A soft grunt sounded from somewhere near as her paws hit something soft. The beta turned sharply around, eyes widening when she was met with the familiar red-orange orbs. Instinctively, Nayeon tried her best to crawl away from the creature, failing terribly with the wound on her thigh. She then resorted to her fangs, growling menacingly at what her nose told her to be one of her kind. According to scent, it was another female beta like herself. The other canine was three years of age with a well-mixed black-and-white coat. Nayeon noticed that the wolf had something green in her mouth and stopped growling.

 

“Stay still.” The other beta tried to say, but it came out as a bunch of muffled syllables.

 

Nayeon crocked her head slightly, unable to understand.

 

“Stay still.” The younger tried again.

 

This time, Nayeon understood her by piecing the two versions of mumbling together. The black-and-white wolf came closer and placed what looked like some green lichens on her wound. Nayeon noticed that her thigh was already layered with some of the same substance, covering her area of infliction almost entirely. The older canine sniffed the plant and shot the other a questioning look.

 

“Usnea.” The other beta answered, searching for something among the trees. “They’ll help with the healing process.”

 

Nayeon believed her, mainly because she really didn’t have much of a choice. She was still very suspicious and kept herself alert to whatever the other might be up to. She studied the younger wolf intensely, realizing by smell that she had came across another loner. The stranger was very strongly built, tall with muscular shoulders. It was unlikely that Nayeon would win a fight against her. Still, she didn’t really understand why some wolf would actually help her, especially in this miserable winter. She was dying from exsanguination, and it only made sense that the other wolf should have put her out of her misery. Apparently, Jihyo wasn’t the only friendly soul around here.

 

Nayeon slowly moved back to the nest that she was originally in before waking up. It was a turf bed this time, softer and warmer than the pine nettle one. The sandy beige beta was about to go back to sleep before her savior showed up with something to tickle her nostrils—meat. Nayeon’s stomach responded with a growl the moment she smelled it, and she instinctively licked her chops.

 

The younger wolf jogged out from a section of the trees with a chubby hare dangling from her jaw. Nayeon had an urge that led her to crawl forward, making the younger canine chuckle despite her mouthful. When the prey was dropped right in front of her, Nayeon did not hesitate. She held the kill in between her paws, providing a firm grip for herself before digging in. Her teeth worked in a rapid motion, prying and tearing into the meat. She had spent days searching for this, for something to fill her dying body. Her muzzle was almost completely drenched with blood due to the force of her eating. Desperation had overwhelmed embarrassment, and Nayeon continued to shove as much meat into her mouth as physically possible.

 

She fed with the same pace for another five minutes, finally slowing down when a fourth of her kill was left. Nayeon took this time to savor the good meal, eyes fixed on the other canine who’d moved herself next to her in the nest. The moonlight gave her black-and-white fur a touch of silver and the older must admit, she looked quite stunning just laying there with her head on her paws. Nayeon studied her sharp cheekbones and handsome features, not realizing now distracted she was until she bit herself on the tongue. Luckily, she restrained herself from making a sound, and the younger’s eyes remained closed. Nayeon decided that she should pay more attention to her kill.

 

She spent another three minutes busying herself with some left over meat within the hare’s skeleton. There was one piece in particular that was starting to piss her off. It was lodged in the depth of the hare’s ribs, and Nayeon could have easily pulled it out if she could actually sit up right now. She had tried several times, but her leg kept giving out at the last minute. Nayeon gripped the earth firmly with her claws, pushing all the muscles in her two front legs to force herself upward. Her injured leg scrambled to support her body, and Nayeon bit her lower lip determinedly. Just as she thought she was rising to good height, a sharp pain struck through her wounded leg, and she collapsed back to the ground with an “oof”. She glanced over to make sure that the other wolf did not see anything, however, it was apparent by the look on the younger’s face that she did.

 

“Are you trying to snap your leg?!” Her savior asked, brows fussed in confusion.

 

“N-no.” Nayeon quickly adjusted her lying position, a shade of red ran through her cheeks.

 

The younger canine lowered her head back on her paws, despite the confusion on her face. Nayeon pretended to chew on some leg bones until the other beta’s eyes were shut again. Then, she tried using her muzzle to pry the meat out. After a few exhausting attempts and bad aiming, Nayeon made no progress. Irritated, she growled lowly. What came next was a soft chuckle that made her shiver, then she realized that the wolf next to her was getting up.

 

Settling one paw on one side of the rib and her teeth on the other, the younger wolf broke the cage in half with a strong tug. Nayeon gulped and wished she didn’t stare so hard at the other beta’s muscular shoulder. She blamed the close proximity instead of her eyes, but her savior did not stop there.

 

She dipped down and freed the meat from its location, then turned to Nayeon with piece hanging from her muzzle. “Here.”

 

The older felt her heart beating fast, pounding even faster than her little accident on the road a few hours ago. She told herself that it was nothing but an offer, a kind gesture no less. Still, she barely knew this wolf, and it didn’t help that she felt sad when she pictured herself leaving in the morning. Yet, the distance of the meat tempted her, and she inched forward boldly. She couldn’t help but like the way their noses brushed.

 

Nayeon wished the younger didn’t just watch her chew with a tender smile. She also wished that her face would stop heating up when her eyes met the other’s gentle red-orange orbs. To save herself from any further embarrassment, Nayeon kept her eyes low and licked her front paws. She could hear the younger beta dragging the leftovers away to clear some sleeping space, then returned to scoop out some smaller bones. In all her years, she had never seen another wolf deliberately clean its nest until now. Nayeon found it very intriguing but of course, she wanted to know more. She needed a way to gather up some nerves to spark a conversation. When the younger wolf settled down next to her once again, Nayeon decided that she would lock her eyes to the sky in order to avoid getting flustered again.

 

“So, what’s your story?” She started after finding a bursting wave of confidence.

 

“Story?” She heard the other wolf hum.

 

“Yeah, every loner has a story.” This was going better than she expected, but Nayeon continued to distract herself with the glowing stars above.

 

“Mhm.” There was a pause as the younger beta thought about it. “Well, I’m a little more interested in yours, since you fainted and nearly died.”

 

“A little accident while savaging, that’s all.”

 

“A _little_ accident?”

 

“Yes, and I’m more interested as to why you helped me.”

 

“What if I’m not helping you?”

 

Nayeon couldn’t help but turn to the younger, catching a flash of mischief in her eyes. “What else could you possibly be doing with me?”

 

“I don’t know. Saving you for breakfast?”

 

“Me? But why would you heal my wounds then?”

 

“For fresh quality.” The younger smirked.

 

“I think a wolf like you is more than capable of catching _better_ quality prey like the one you offered me.”

 

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

The other beta laughed. “I’m Jungyeon. I was born in this grove but a bit to the south.”

 

“I haven’t met many forest wolves in my lifetime.”

 

“Hunting between the trees intimidates most, which is quite understandable.”

 

“I’m guessing you’re already an expert at that?”

 

“I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I think my father had taught me well.”

 

“So, what’s the tragedy?”

 

“What?”

 

“You know, pack warfare, famine, hunter’s guns. Anything?”

 

“Well, I never really saw any humans before and I-”

 

Nayeon shook her head. “No, I mean like what happened to your pack or family or whatever. It’s evident that they are not with you anymore.”

 

“Oh. Last winter, we were competing with another family pack through a blizzard. The weather wasn’t as bad as it is now, but I think you know who won the competition.” Jungyeon looked down at her paws.

 

“Well, that’s better than most tales I’ve heard. I knew wolves who went to raise their pups in the city and came back with just an eye.”

 

“A fellow packmate?”

 

“No, one of my friends.”

 

“Friends?” Jungyeon lifted a brow.

 

“I have friends and sources.”

 

“Then, the true mystery is why are _you_ here alone?”

 

“Venturing, enjoying the freedom of the wilderness, finding more sources and friends. There are plenty of things for me to do without a pack.”

 

“So, does that make me one of your friends too?”

 

“I suppose.”

 

“But you haven’t told me your tale.” Nayeon thought Jungyeon’s mocking emphasis at the end was very amusing.

 

“Must I?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I thought you only wanted to eat me.” Nayeon smirked.

 

“Well, if you don’t tell me, maybe I’ll stomach you now.”

 

“Fair enough. I’m Nayeon, from the beach coast. I left the pack prematurely to do all that I just mentioned.”

 

“So, no tragedies?”

 

“No.”

 

“That was quite plain, and I know there’s much more that you don’t want to say.”

 

Nayeon stared at her in fake puzzlement, but Jungyeon narrowed her eyes determinedly.

 

The older gave in to it easier than she’d realized. “I came back a month after my first little journey and found them gone.”

 

“Do you know where they might have went?”

 

“No. There wasn’t a clue for me to even examine. I returned with an abandoned camp. There was no blood just emptiness.”

 

“Do you want to know what happened?”

 

“Yes, but what are my chances of actually knowing?”

 

“But isn’t it another adventure for you?”

 

“It’s an adventure that I’ve given up on long ago.”

 

Jungyeon nodded, but Nayeon felt how sincere it was. “Well, you should rest up if you want to walk again.”

 

The older curled up, tucking her nose in her tail as the heat rose to her muzzle. Despite her back facing the younger, she could still feel Jungyeon’s eyes.

 

“Thank you.” Nayeon mumbled.

 

“And thank you for making my breakfast less time consuming.” Jungyeon jested.

 

“You wouldn’t dare.”

 

“Why, would you actually fight back?”

 

“I wouldn’t have to since your pity seems to have gotten the best of you.”

 

“Pity?”

 

“Yes, I mean who in their right mind would purposely take in another burden for themselves. In the midst of a terrible winter, no less.”

 

“Then, I guess I’m super crazy.”

 

“And I owe your craziness my entire life.”

 

Jungyeon chuckled. “Go to sleep already.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok look wolves cant rlly see colors but hey they can now bc content


	4. Lies and Feelings

Nayeon woke up as her natural clock directed, which was around the transition of dawn into the morning. She greeted the sunlight half-eyed, uncurling herself to stretch. Yawning, she caught a glimpse of an owl returning from the night’s hunt on a tree branch above. The bird stared back at her with big round eyes then flapped its wings in an intimidating manner. Nayeon immediately looked away, because the motion had reminded her of the interaction with the eagle yesterday. She shivered, hoping to never see another raptor as long as she lives.

 

Nayeon inched a little out of the bed, enough to let her muzzle hover above the ground. Her throat felt dry, so she scooped some snow in her mouth and ate it. The ice crystal melted in her mouth as she crawled back to where she was originally to bask in the warmth. It was there that she realized her black-and-white savior from yesterday was gone. Her scent signaled that she’d left recently, and Nayeon felt disappointed for not waking up earlier. She’d hoped to send the younger off with something as simple as a “thank you” for patching her up, feeding her, and all that. There was also a small personal reason that Nayeon would never dare to admit to anyone out loud. Not even herself, in fact she was trying hard to deny how insanely attractive Jungyeon was both inside and outside. Discarding her feelings, Nayeon blamed herself for foolishly hoping that the other might stay. It was understandable that two wolves of no relevant ties would part, but her heart did feel a bit heavy. She brushed off the sad feelings before it could further affect her and rolled to her side. The reality was that this winter was hell. Bonds were fragile things due to the food shortage and competitions. In times like these, even members of the same pack would be fighting, not to mention complete strangers. She should just be grateful that she was at least saved from bleeding out.

 

Still, the chances of her actually staying alive now was very slim. She supposed she could stay within the forest until she recovered, but food was going to be a major problem again. Hunting—the very basis of her survival—would be near impossible with her infirmity right now. She couldn’t run, and she doubted that she would be lucky enough to catch another lemming again. Before she could even  _ attempt _ to survive, she would have to get up first. Nayeon positioned herself with her front paws anchored to the ground like last night, pulling herself up but collapsed back down when it was time for her injured leg to contribute. Her leg obviously couldn’t handle the weight, and she would need to try something new quick. Nayeon decided to start with the same position; this time, she placed nearly all of her weight onto her front legs. Carefully, she lifted herself up without the support of her bad leg and allowed her three good legs to do the work. In a swift motion, she was standing up sturdily without any trembles. Nayeon laughed shortly at her accomplishment, then tried ambitiously to move forward. It turned out that although she could walk, this method was very slow and tiring. She nearly had to time every step correctly in order to share her weight on each leg, otherwise one would wobble under the excessive amount.

 

It took her a ridiculous amount of time to get to the spot where she remembered Jungyeon had disposed the leftover bones. It was another disappointment when she saw that the ravens got there before her. The black birds flew off upon her arrival, but there was nothing left for her as she simply stared at the empty carcass. There were still bits of bone that she could chew on, however, Nayeon thought it was better if she just move on. She turned around with great effort, then limped back towards the bed. Clueless of where to go, the sandy beige beta flopped back down onto the turf bed where she fed herself a few more chunks of snow. This was depressing, and she was already out of breath from all that concentration. She predicted that she would need to take several short breaks like this one if she plans to get somewhere, but she didn’t complain if it meant she could walk. Anything was better than rotting here with one useless leg.

 

When she was ready, Nayeon sat up once more in preparation for her official leave. Her injured leg ached a bit under the weight, but it was good that she could sit unlike yesterday. The beta stood up, a familiar scent filled her nostrils before she could even take a step. Appearing from the nest of trees was no other than Jungyeon, red-orange eyes widened when she saw the position that Nayeon was in. A marmot was lodged between her jaw, and she dropped it near Nayeon’s feet.

 

“Wow, good job.” The black-and-white beta praised.

 

Nayeon wasn’t sure if it was sincere, because Jungyeon looked quite concerned. The older beta seemed to have frozen due to the shock of her return. Nayeon blinked twice before opening her mouth, then she closed it and lowered herself to sit down. She studied Jungyeon as the other stared back at her, gaze shifting from younger’s broad shoulders to her eyes. Nayeon tried to find an explanation in them, but their contact was broken when Jungyeon nudged the kill towards her. The older still didn’t stop looking at her.

 

“Why are you still here?” Nayeon slurred out.

 

The younger beta stared at her with an equal amount of confusion. “Why would I not be?”

 

A long list of reasons why Jungyeon shouldn’t be here ran inside Nayeon’s head, but she knew that the younger wasn’t stupid. Any wolf in their clear mind would abandon her from the very start.

 

“I thought you’d left.” Nayeon said softly.

 

“Well, I allowed my pity to take the best of me a second time.” Jungyeon smiled, lightening the older’s heart and filling it with an undeniable amount of fondness.

 

Nayeon tried to push the feelings further away and mentioned the kill instead. “Are you not going to have some?”

 

“Oh, yeah.” Jungyeon dipped down and tore off a thigh, which surprised Nayeon a second time.

 

“I meant half.”

 

“I think this is enough.” Jungyeon carried her piece to settle next to her friend.

 

She ate right away, perhaps afraid that Nayeon might protest or insist that they trade. The older stared at her share of the kill, unsure if she should accept such an offer. Heck, she wasn’t sure what she’d done to even deserve this. She was speechless enough that Jungyeon had returned for her, and she certainly didn’t expect her to go as far as this. Though it was tempting, she told herself to not put too much faith that the younger might remain by her side until she recovers. Their contact might end now for all she knew. Nayeon sniffed the carcass, pausing to glance at Jungyeon. Her golden eyes begged for a reassurance, and the younger beta did not hesitate to reply with a defined nod. After that, Nayeon allowed her teeth to do what they do best.

 

Occupied with their meals, the two betas remained quiet until they were completely finished. Jungyeon settled in the bed cleaning her paws while Nayeon gnawed on a leg bone until her jaw hurts. Then, the older discarded it and turned to her friend. There were a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but she feared that there were more answers she wouldn’t be ready for. Her opinion of Jungyeon was unclear. She wanted to trust her, however, her logic told her otherwise. The younger wolf was much stronger, much bigger, and an excellent hunter. Things seemed to be fine now but if she made one wrong move, her entire life might be in danger. Not that Jungyeon would outright attack her, she just wasn’t sure what to expect. It also didn’t help that her emotions at the moment conflicted with such a prediction. If anything, she felt safe knowing that Jungyeon was right next to her. Everything that the younger had offered and done for her felt genuine. Nayeon found comfort just by looking at her. As much as she hated it, her heart raced and pounded erratically when Jungyeon caught her gaze. Nayeon was compelled by some mysterious voice in the back of her head to say something. The younger raised her head as if expecting that something.

 

“When are you leaving?” The big question slipped out before Nayeon could realize what was happening.

 

“Geez, do you want me to leave that badly?” Jungyeon remarked in her usual jesting manner.

 

“No, I just-” Nayeon searched for a better way to say it. “I don’t want to keep you here longer than you need to be.”

 

“I’m in no rush.”

 

“Yes, but you can’t be chained here forever.”

 

Jungyeon got up and came closer. “Why are you so keen on thinking that you’re a burden?”

 

Nayeon looked at her with wavering eyes, both because of their close distance and the question.

 

“You’re fine.” Jungyeon assured her. “What are you so afraid of? That we’re going to starve? I know this forest well enough, and I can catch another marmot for you if you really are doubting me that much.”

 

“There’s no need.” Nayeon looked down at her paws.

 

“Then, there’s no need to think that way anymore.” Jungyeon’s voice softened.

 

“My leg is getting better though.” The older turned her attention to her injured thigh, trying to distract herself from getting too flustered from Jungyeon’s serious tone.

 

“That’s good.” The younger nodded but suddenly narrowed her eyes. “Do  _ you _ want to leave?”

 

Nayeon blinked, unable to decide whether or not she should tell the truth. Her brain panicked, so she went with something a little easier to explain.

 

“A little, yes.” She lied.

 

She saw a flash of disappointment in Jungyeon’s face and instantly regretted it.

 

“Then, I’ll stick around until your leg heals.”

 

“Actually, there is no need.” Something was urging Nayeon to shut down their interaction as quickly as possible. “I think I can walk well enough to leave now.”

 

Jungyeon eyed her suspiciously, causing Nayeon to get up in order to prove it. She steadied her body like the first time she’d done it, then lifted herself up into a stand. She took a few steps to prove that her technique worked.

 

“Well, I think you would be better off if you could walk a little more effortlessly.”

 

“But I’m-” Nayeon pried her brain for an excuse. “I need to go somewhere quickly.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“I, uh, I have a friend. She’s a loner and as far as I know, she has been trying to find me for a while.”

 

“So, you want to search for her?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Do you know where she is?”

 

“I had found some trace of her in Jayrock Territory. I just hope that I get there before she moves on.”

 

“You want to catch up to her, but you’re planning to get there like this?”

 

“Um...yes?” Nayeon felt bad that Jungyeon was actually taking her lie seriously.

 

The younger beta sighed. “Alright, I’ll get you there.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Well, it’s going to take you the entire winter to get there otherwise.”

 

“No, but I-”

 

“Get on.” Jungyeon suddenly turned around and sat down with her back facing Nayeon.

 

“What?!”

 

“What?”

 

“Are you insane??”

 

“I carried you here yesterday.”

 

Nayeon didn’t know what to say, nor did she really know where this was going to lead. She felt horrible already that she’d lied just because she was too afraid to accept Jungyeon’s company. Now, she made the younger embark on something that would only waste both their times. Then again, there was a small chance that Jihyo might not have gone far. If they did find her, Jungyeon would only need to drop her off then leave. As for Jihyo, Nayeon promised to give her a direct explanation when the other beta leaves. The plan was awful, knowing that she was willing to do all this just to get away from Jungyeon. Still, she couldn’t help it, because her feelings around the other beta were alarming. Maybe it was just deep admiration, but it was the kind that would evolve into something bigger if she stayed. Attachment was a very serious threat to the nomadic lifestyle she was used to, and she always tried her best to avoid it. She just wasn’t ready to handle complex things like love, plus this cold winter should be the only thing taking up all her concerns right now. Besides, Jihyo wouldn’t have the heart to simply abandon her. From the start, they had established a lot of common grounds with each other. Having made her decision clear, Nayeon limped to where the other beta sat waiting. She wrapped her front legs around Jungyeon’s neck and held on when the younger stood up, lifting her back legs with her.

 

“Am I heavy?” She asked.

 

“Nope.” The younger replied, then jogged through some of the trees.

 

Her steps were swift and light that Nayeon was amazed by how much strength she truly possessed.

 

“Jayrock, you said?” Jungyeon reconfirmed.

 

“Yes. A little to the north.” Nayeon wasn’t actually sure if Jihyo had listened to her and went north, but it was worth a try.

 

She felt herself lunged upwards when Jungyeon stepped over a particularly large log, and her muscles tensed as she clung tight onto the other beta.

 

“Sorry.” The younger apologized. “Though, you might want to hang on just in case.”

 

Nayeon remained as Jungyeon stepped over a thick fallen branch, then rocked her again by taking a sharp turn. “Wow, you’re making me feel so much safer.”

 

“We’re almost out.” The younger laughed.

 

Once they’d made it passed the last cluster of trees, Nayeon felt the midday’s sunlight hitting her back. The sun rays were faint but warm and comforting. Nayeon used her knowledge of the territory to direct the younger wolf, making sure she stayed on the flat terrain and not climb any unnecessary slopes. The wind swayed gently around them, swirling up some snow as it swept across the plains. It was then that Jungyeon’s scent became very apparent to Nayeon. She couldn’t help but rest her muzzle on the side of the younger’s neck, inhaling in her scent. True to her birth, Jungyeon carried the sweet and smoky fragrance of the pines. It was calming, and she didn’t seem to be bothered by Nayeon’s nestling, so the older relaxed herself. The snowy plains ahead seemed endless, but Jungyeon’s footsteps gave her some hope. Her ability to maintain an unchanging jogging pace despite having another wolf on top of her was truly incredible.

 

~~~***~~~

 

The air became frigid under the afternoon’s cloudy skies, and the winds sped up to a mild breeze. On the northern front of the Jayrock Territory, Jihyo prowled eagerly across the snowy terrain with light paws. She was excited, for the direction of the wind was blowing towards her and not at what she was after. A gust of scent had also reached her. From it, Jihyo detected a lone caribou and blood. Immediately, she began to track it, following the winding scent all the way to the frozen lake. Ahead, she spotted her prey and stopped. The caribou was definitely injured, limping with its left leg dragging across the snow. It didn’t seem to have seen her, so Jihyo decided to come closer. She was still cautious, eyes watching her prey keenly. Her actions were dependent on the reindeer’s, and she must make herself alert enough to react decisively. She inched closer, keeping a distance to remain undetected.

 

It was unusual for a caribou to be wandering without a herd, especially in this winter. Still, the luck was hers, and Jihyo knew better than to let an easy meal trot away like that. Ever since the winter arrived, she’d fed on nothing but small burrowing animals which never made a memorable meal. She was determined to succeed, and closer she came with great tenacity. The deer stopped once she was a few feet within range, and Jihyo sprung rapidly forward. She dedicated all her energy to her leg muscles, sprinting effortlessly across the field with intense momentum. This chase wasn’t about stamina. Her prey had an obvious handicap that would ultimately make Jihyo the winner, however, the reindeer was trying hard. It ran with all the might its three legs could give, strutting nearer to the lake as a last attempt to save itself. Jihyo noticed and growled.

 

She began to leap in order to gain more ground. It made her exhausted very quickly, but she refused to slow down. Her tongue dangled with the shortness of her breathing and ahead of her, the caribou was already stepping onto the ice. Jihyo arrived like a bullet, shocking her prey when she locked her jaw into its injured thigh. The deer was in a stage of pain and panic, wildly scrambling on the slippery ice while kicking its back legs in hope that it could shake her off. Jihyo held firm, tugging the reindeer out of the frozen lake while avoiding its deadly hooves—an unfortunate aim to her skull would end this battle immediately. She struggled with the taste of the deer’s warm blood filling her mouth and encouraging her on. Only the prey’s front legs remained on the ice now, but that proved to be just as hazardous when the deer cracked a pit within the ice and forced Jihyo’s jaw to slip.

 

She actually wasn’t worried, mainly because her prey was now too occupied trying to pull itself out of the frosty water. Jihyo took a step back to give the deer some space and realized that the bank of the lake was deeper than she thought. Once the reindeer turned on its heels to reach dry land, Jihyo bounced right in front of it and snapped at its throat. Another jaw lock, this time with much more devastation as she penetrated its vital blood vessels. The prey stumbled helplessly within her grip, and she dragged it fully onto the bank. Finally, the deer fell with nothing else to save it from the force of Jihyo’s fangs. As for the alpha wolf, she didn’t dare waste another minute before digging in.

 

It was good, all very good when Jihyo chewed deliciously on the meat she so well deserved. She felt good. Opportunities like these were rare, and she thanked her sharpness that morning for committing her into this track-and-chase. It was a relief to be alive again, to feel alive, and to know that you’ll be alive for much longer. Survival had always kept her going since her puppyhood. Like many of her breed, her fuel to live was deeply rooted in her hunting successes. She would never admit it herself, but Jihyo was definitely a tad more ambitious than other wolves. Things like these really polish up her pride.

 

It appeared that the alpha was too distracted with her kill to realize that there were strange scents in the air—two to be exact. With muzzle stained in a crimson red, she raised her head and perked her ears to survey the area. There were two beta females lingering around, but they were far enough to give her time to formulate a plan. Jihyo had just started eating, and there was no way she was willing to abandon her kill. Still, the odds of her winning a battle against two were slim. Unless her opponents were weak young wolves, she really wouldn’t stand much of a chance. The party of two were closing in on her and after a frustrated growl, Jihyo spun to their direction. The hair on her back rose but suddenly fell when the figure on the horizon confused rather than threatened her. There were two wolves alright, yet one appeared to be carrying the other. As they moved closer, the pair seemed to be calling out to her or something she couldn’t really tell.

 

“Jihyo!” One of them yelled.

 

They were  _ definitely  _ calling her name. She had no idea who, but she did hope that it was one of her siblings. It would be great to reunite and rebuild the pack with what was left of their family. Despite being a loner, Jihyo did believe in strength in numbers.

 

“Jihyo!” Came another scream, and this time the alpha realized that this wasn’t anyone of her relatives.

 

The silvery highlights of the wolf calling her never failed to shine in Jihyo’s eyes as the sun reflected off it. Seeing Nayeon again was weird, but seeing her hitched behind a large wolf was even more questionable. Her friend arrived with a bright grin while she stood there with puzzlement. Nayeon stumbled a little after rushing to get off the other wolf’s shoulders, then regained her balance to shoot Jihyo a wink.

 

“Miss me didn’t ya?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll try to update every week
> 
> also look forward to badass Momo later on ;))


	5. Reunion

At first, Nayeon was afraid that Jihyo might not actually recognize her. The way the alpha stepped back immediately upon her arrival told her so, and she wasn’t exactly sure what to do after that. For as far as she knew, they were standing face-to-face simply blinking at each other. Actually, they’d been blinking at each other for probably more than three minutes now, and Nayeon felt Jungyeon shifting awkwardly into a sitting position behind her. This was awful. Recognized her or not, Nayeon pleaded mentally for Jihyo to say something—anything—to save them from this foreboding silence that was slowly decaying her.

 

“Why are you here?” Jihyo finally spoke, narrowing her large eyes.

 

It was hard to tell whether she was actually irritated or just confused, but Nayeon prayed for the latter due to her critical situation right now. She needed Jihyo’s fullest cooperation for just a few minutes and promised herself to explain everything afterwards. Although she was truly scared of Jihyo’s reaction to her little act, she really didn’t have much of a choice. 

 

Nayeon turned full-bodied to Jihyo and exclaimed with a wide smile. “Weren’t you looking for me? Well, here I am!”

 

God, she was trying hard— _ real _ hard. Her eyes begged Jihyo’s sharp emerald ones, and she made an effort to wag her tail. The alpha’s complexion was unreadable, but Nayeon continued to pray.

 

_ ‘Jihyo, I swear I will love you forever i-’  _

 

“I could barely even recognize you.” The alpha’s face lightened as she laughed. “How long has it been?”

 

_ ‘Jihyo, you are officially the best wolf on this very Earth.’  _ Nayeon declared as she laughed along, turning to Jungyeon who seemed equally relieved. It broke her a little to see how much the other beta really cared about her, but it was a little too late to feel bad now. She was about to thank her when Jungyeon readied herself to leave, facing the forest in which she came from several moments ago. Nayeon’s mouth went dry immediately.

 

This was it.

 

_ ‘Wasn’t this your idea?’  _ She asked herself.  _ ‘Isn’t this what you wanted, Nayeon?’ _

 

Maybe. She didn’t really know. The wind sped up and slightly ruffled all of their furs, making Jungyeon’s back even more apparent to Nayeon’s eyes. The younger beta was walking away—she was leaving.

 

This was  _ really _ it.

 

Nayeon barely knew her, barely been with her for two full days, and yet there was something bitter about witnessing Jungyeon slowly getting farther away from her. It was so wrong because this was supposed to be happening, but Nayeon was regretting it dearly. She really had no reason to be. Not if she’d already planned for this to happen and intended it to go this way. Plus, she—of all wolves—had seen most of her closest friends leave her side before. This should not be any different. The feeling was strange, but this wasn’t the best time to be contemplating her decisions. Jihyo nudged her urgently the moment Jungyeon went out of earshot.

 

Nayeon turned. “Look, I’m injured.”

 

“I can see that.” Jihyo remarked rather sharply.

 

“Yeah, so I can’t really move too much nor hunt.” Nayeon begged her friend through their eye contact. “Which means…”

 

“Which means you want me to take care of you.”

 

“Excellent deduction.” Nayeon wagged her tail more furiously. “You wouldn’t mind would you?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Don’t tell me you would let me die out here like this.”

 

“Maybe.”

 

“Jihyo!” Nayeon whined and nuzzled her under the chin, causing the alpha to cringe.

 

“Alright, alright!” Jihyo sighed and Nayeon’s face lit up. “But who was that then?”

 

“A friend.” The older replied plainly.

 

“You told her to bring you here?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“How did you find her if your leg is like this?”

 

“I didn't. She found me.” Jihyo looked at her perplexedly, and Nayeon continued. “See, I was losing blood and fainted, but then she took me in and all.”

 

“Why didn’t you stay with her then?”

 

The question hit Nayeon hard, mainly because she had been thinking about it herself ever since she got here. What was the reason behind her effort? That she  _ might _ have fallen for Jungyeon from the moment she saw her? But did she even want it to get to this point? Clearly, there wasn’t a lot of thinking beforehand.

 

“I don’t know, Jihyo.” Nayeon laughed pathetically.

 

“Why did she bring you here then?”

 

“I told her to. I said that you were an old friend who was looking for me.”

 

“And why?”

 

“I don’t know, Jihyo!” Nayeon pulled back her ears and glanced out contritely at Jungyeon’s small figure in the distance. “I don’t know what I was thinking which is why I’m regretting it all.”

 

“What do you want to do now?”

 

“What is there left to do?”

 

“Answer me first.”

 

Sunset would be here soon, and Nayeon stared achingly at Jungyeon’s increasingly smaller frame on the horizon. Her heart constricted and screamed at that point for her to do something—anything. She couldn’t allow Jungyeon to leave without a proper goodbye.

 

“I want to go after her.” Nayeon said—declared almost—with the sternest expression Jihyo had ever seen on her.

 

“Then go.” The alpha encouraged.

 

“Really? Now? Like this?”

 

“Well, either that or you’ll be regretful forever.”

 

Nayeon’s golden orbs glinted. “How?”

 

“However you want to do it.”

 

“What if I want her to stay?”

 

“Stay with us?” Nayeon nodded to which Jihyo shrugged. “Then, she’ll stay with us.”

 

“Are you serious?” The older looked at her as if she was joking.

 

“Yes.” The alpha’s voice was calm and decisive.

 

There was really no reason for Jihyo to refuse. She was going to deal with Nayeon anyways, so why not let another wolf tag along? Also, the gummy smile that the beta gave her afterwards was enough to not doubt her decision.

 

Nayeon wasted no time getting on her feet. Her steps were still unsteady and messy as she limped in the direction of Jungyeon. The younger was far away enough to appear as only a small dot in the distance. Her determination kept her going, and her effort was very evident in the way she scrambled helplessly across the snow. At some point, she began to call Jungyeon’s name, knowing that she would never be able to catch up in this rate. When Jungyeon didn’t hear her the first time, she screamed again louder. The plains were wide and vast with little obstacles to obstruct the younger beta from hearing her. Nayeon just hoped that some fragments of her voice could get to her—it didn’t matter how much just  _ something _ to give Jungyeon a reason to turn around. At her fifth yelp, the younger beta looked back, and Nayeon nearly jumped with joy. Unfortunately, her happiness overwhelmed her concentration, thus she missed a footstep and ended up tumbling down a small slope in despair. At that point, Jungyeon seemed to have gotten the hint.

 

The younger wolf broke into a sprint when Nayeon fell, covering the long distance between them with ease due to her long legs. Meanwhile, Jihyo watched them both anxiously from her position, hoping Jungyeon would hurry before Nayeon tried too hard and hurt her other leg.

 

“Are you ok??” Jungyeon drew closer, supporting one of Nayeon’s side with her muzzle.

 

The older smiled but at the same time, the amount of care that was displayed through Jungyeon’s actions made her feel even more guilty. Red-orange orbs studied her carefully as she regained her posture. Nayeon thought the younger looked stunning in this lighting, especially when the colors of the lowering sun was almost equivalent to those of her eyes. It was almost too much all at once, because the concerned look on Jungyeon’s face gave Nayeon all the courage she needed. 

 

“I’m fine.” The older nodded to assure that she was fine.

 

“What happened?”

 

“I just wanted to say thank you.” Nayeon laughed to calm herself, otherwise she would start shaking.

 

“Oh.” Jungyeon’s complexion softened. “You came all this way for that?”

 

“Yeah. I might never see you again.”

 

It was true, and it was probably one of the many realizations that caused Nayeon to go after her.

 

“Mhm.” Jungyeon agreed and nodded.

 

“Well, thanks.”

 

“You’re very welcome.”

 

The time was now. Something swept over Nayeon like a tidal wave, urging her to quickly bring Jungyeon closer before she decided to leave again. It was nerve-wracking because she honestly didn’t know what to say, just knew that she had to say something now. Her eyes must have shown her nervousness because Jungyeon crocked her head as if waiting for the delayed words to leave Nayeon’s mouth.

 

“What are you planning to do now?” The older beta asked plainly.

 

“Go back to the grove.” Jungyeon replied matter-of-factly.

 

“But it’s getting dark soon.”

 

“Well,” The younger glanced up at the sky. “I’ll camp somewhere until sunrise.”

 

Nayeon gulped. “W-why don’t you stay with us?”

 

Jungyeon looked at her, not in a bad way just surprised. “I can do that?”

 

“Well, I’m inviting you, aren’t I?”

 

The wolf had an unreadable expression that did nothing but increase Nayeon’s anxiety. If Jungyeon refused, every bit of effort the older’d put in to chase after her would go to waste. She wasn’t even sure if she would ever be the same after this.

 

“I guess it won’t hurt.” Jungyeon shrugged. “If that’s ok with your friend, that is.”

 

Nayeon felt like she had made it all through this dreadful winter already.

 

“Jihyo’s quite easy-going, you don’t need to worry.”

 

“That’s good.”

 

The two began to walk which meant that the older beta’s every move was being observed by Jungyeon’s attentive eyes. Nayeon tried to hold out for as much as she could, but eventually her footsteps started to become unsteady. The younger beta immediately rushed in to support her, and Nayeon wondered what good she did to have met this wolf. Her head found itself subconsciously leaning into Jungyeon’s neck as the younger escorted her back up to Jihyo.

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

The moon soon came to signal nighttime and wind speed subsided for a peaceful night. On a small plateau not too far away from the river, three wolves were settling down for the night. It was much colder away from the woods and exposed in the barren field without the trees shielding them. It was good that there was little wind tonight. Once on the plateau, the three of them laid down and aligned themselves in an awkward semicircle. Jungyeon—Jihyo concluded—had a personality that heavily contradicts her physical features. She was polite and friendly despite towering over both Nayeon and Jihyo. Even when Jihyo offered her the kill she’d caught, Jungyeon refused after insisting that she would catch something for herself in the morning. Nayeon didn’t let that happen, of course, and beseeched Jungyeon to eat until the younger gave in.

 

There were some interesting dynamics between the two of them, Jihyo noticed. She had known Nayeon as a good speaker and more than anything a sociable wolf, but this wasn’t the case now. She had morphed into an attentive listener in the presence of Jungyeon, only asking questions and nodding to what the other beta had to say. There was this spark in her eyes whenever Jungyeon made a small joke to which she would laugh longer than expected. It wasn’t hard to detect the fondness in Nayeon’s eyes and the way they glowed with a warmer shade of gold the moment Jungyeon looked at her.

 

“I think Jihyo here is an equally compelling hunter.” Jihyo looked up when Jungyeon glanced in her direction.

 

“It was just a stroke of luck.” The alpha smiled. “The caribou also happened to be injured and I took my chances.”

 

“Well, not a lot of wolves are lucky enough to have such an opportunity.”

 

“I guess I so.”

 

“So, Jihyo.” Nayeon flashed the alpha a teasing grin. “You did heed my advice to go north after all.”

 

Jihyo groaned and rolled her eyes. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

 

“Really? You’re not the least curious at all, then?”

 

It would be easy to say no if it wasn’t for Nayeon’s cheeky wink that gave Jihyo no choice but to admit it. With a reluctant nod, the alpha curled herself up in an effort to avoid talking about it further. She expected Nayeon to integrate her on it but was surprised when the older simply laughed it off.

 

“I don’t blame you. It is a very beautiful place. Have you ever heard of the Noura Valley?” Nayeon turned to Jungyeon.

 

“I might if I didn’t spend all my life cooped up in the grove.” The younger beta shook her head.

 

“Right.” Nayeon chuckled. “Ever since the last pack that occupied it disappeared, the place has been abandoned because nobody really knows the entrance to get inside the valley.”

 

“Can’t you technically climb over?” Jihyo couldn’t help but chime in.

 

“Trust me, winter is a hundred times worse when you’re on an entire mountain range.”

 

“I’m surprised a wolf like you hasn't found the way in yet.”

 

“Not that I didn’t but because I haven’t even tried. The purpose of that valley appeals to a pack, not to a loner like me.”

 

“Aren’t we all?”

 

“Yeah, but don’t tell me you have never thought of leading a pack before, Jihyo.”

 

The alpha snorted. “Like I have anyone left to lead.”

 

“Well, there’s always somebody.” Nayeon yawned and rolled on her back to face the stars.

 

“You sound too sure of yourself.”

 

“Maybe I am. I do think you make a great leader, Jihyo. You would know what to do with the place.”

 

“You think so?”

 

“I know so.”

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

Jungyeon was awoken by a series of sharp jabs to her side and thigh. At first, she decided to just ignore it, confident that her thick coat would prevent it from penetrating her skin. Her drowsiness agreed, so she fell back to sleep until the jabbing became a nuisance. With a groan, Jungyeon’s eyes fluttered open. It wasn’t a very pleasant start to the day. The morning air was dry and frigid as a heavy blanket of mist layered itself across the snowy field around her. There was no precipitation or wind. Just the cold and its foggy companion.

 

With a yawn, Jungyeon turned to her right side to investigate the mysterious jabbing that assaulted her all morning. Her vision adjusted as she made out a patch of silvery fur, then her eyes shut completely when out of nowhere something smacked her across the muzzle. She growled, only to realize that the projectile was a paw—a rather big paw to be exact. A string of mumbled whimpering informed Jungyeon of the culprit, and she didn’t even need to turn around to know that Nayeon’s hind legs were sloppily kicking her. To much of Jungyeon’s delight, the jabbing eventually did cease.

 

Nayeon was spanned out on her back, paws pointing upwards, and head tilting in Jungyeon’s direction. She was snoring soundly with the tip of her tongue stuck out, a sight that drew out a quiet chuckle from the younger beta. Up close, Jungyeon thought she was very pretty. She began to observe minor details like the bits of silver fur on the older’s neck. Although her coat was mostly a sandy beige, Nayeon also had these silver highlights that outlined certain parts of her body. The most obvious being the lining that ran from the top of her forehead down to the tip of her tail. It was these same silvery touches that caught Jungyeon’s attention when she first saw Nayeon half-dead on the forest floor. Ever since she lost her family, Jungyeon lived a secluded and introverted lifestyle under the shadows of the trees. She still hadn’t figure out why she decided to save Nayeon of all wolves that day. Maybe it was her overall demeanor, because there was always something so unique about the older beta. Jungyeon swore it wasn’t just her outer appearance or fetching personality that made her incredibly captivating.

 

Jungyeon froze when Nayeon twitched, almost fearing that she woke the other beta up by simply staring. It turned out that wasn’t the case, because Nayeon was still heavily asleep when she stretched and shifted on her belly. She also pressed herself closer to Jungyeon so that her snout was now resting on the younger’s paw. The suddenness of her actions made Jungyeon flinch.

 

After a few minutes of watching Nayeon’s body rise and fall steadily, Jungyeon knew there was no way she could go back to sleep now. She glanced across to see Jihyo stirring, and a part of her wished that the alpha would wake up too. It was mean, but it was better than being the only one awake. Three minutes later, Jihyo opened her eyes.

 

“Good morning.” Jungyeon greeted, hoping not to sound too awkward.

 

“Ah, hey.” Jihyo blinked at her sleepily, but then quickly narrowed her eyes. Jungyeon’s ears slightly pulled back when she caught the emerald orbs glaring at her.

 

“Jungyeon.”

 

“...Yes?”

 

“You’re still here.”

 

“Um, yes.”

 

“Huh.” Jihyo’s eyes returned to its normal state. “I thought you would have left already.”

 

Jungyeon finally realized what she meant. Up until now, she didn’t even know she was supposed to either. Their little sleepover last night wasn’t permanent and as a common expectation between loners, Jungyeon should have been gone by now. Gone and back to her home among the trees.

 

But the grove was honestly the last thing she wanted to see right now.

 

It was hard to believe, but she felt the need to stay. Nayeon had only invited her to stay but didn’t really specify for how long. There was just something about the three of them—about these  _ strangers _ she literally had just met. Something strong, powerful, and promising.

 

“Well, I guess you’re not really able to leave.” Jihyo glanced at Nayeon and chuckled.

 

“I’m lucky she hasn’t clawed my face off.” Jungyeon smiled at the sandy beige beta sleeping on her paw.

 

Nayeon didn’t take long to wake up after that. She first started to stir with a whine and a stretch, then she rolled another round onto her side where her ears twitched slightly. Her eyes only fully opened when she’d finish adjusting them to the light.

 

“Good morning to my fortune-teller.” Jihyo teased, earning a grumpy stare from the sandy beige beta. “Did you see the entrance to the valley in your dreams?”

 

“Unfortunately, I didn’t.”

 

“That’s too bad. Maybe next time you’ll have more exciting prophecies for me, mhm?”

 

Nayeon growled lowly. “If it’s not too early in the morning and I still have my leg, you would want to watch what you say, Jihyo.”

 

“Ah, sorry.” Jihyo dipped her head.

 

They all kind of smiled at each other after that. No words needed to be exchange, and Nayeon didn’t even bother to question why Jungyeon was still here. Even if she planned on leaving later, the older was happy that she didn’t leave yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my peoples  
> sorry for the delay heres some 3mix bonding before we get to badass Momorin  
> its the end of the yr n im tryna balance finals n freetime so pls forgive moi  
> this isnt Frost related but lemme know which pairing u want to see—Jeonghyo or Samo  
> ;))) i have plans  
> THANK YOU FOR ALL THE KIND COMMENTS, PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ AND BEAR WITH ME FOR A FEW MORE WEEKS!


	6. Rescue

It was all very interesting to Nayeon.

 

Here they were, three loners from three totally different lifestyles embarking on a rather impulsive mission to find an arcane entryway to a valley. There was no formal agreement to this expedition, and Jungyeon still hadn’t gone back home. Winter wasn’t getting any better so if they stick together, they would stand a higher chance of surviving. The valley—as Nayeon heard—had its own little ecosystem since the mountain range separated it from the rest of the Ivic Region. If they could infiltrate it as the only wolves there, they would have plenty of game for themselves. Nayeon personally had very high hopes for them. It was an odd thing for her—being the proud loner that she was—to admit that Jungyeon and Jihyo made her forget her old lifestyle. They were a pretty formidable trio. She had met a lot of wolves before but with Jihyo and Jungyeon, a powerful sense of strength stuck out to her.

 

Their route was set north towards the Beartooth mountain range where they would start the search. Since the late morning, the three of them had been covering a bit of distance before Jihyo spotted a snow hare ahead and halted them. The alpha suggested that they go after it, because opportunities like these were growing scarcer. And that led to where they were now, Jihyo and Jungyeon out tailing the hare while Nayeon watched from a small snow dome. When the sandy beige beta slid down from her shoulders, Jungyeon had jokingly said that they were going to abandon her forever, igniting a string of whining from the older that made her laugh. Nayeon sent them off with a stern: “I’ll be watching you.” and just like that, the hunt began.

 

The open field was a tricky place to hunt, mainly because the barren scenery provided little coverage for predators and prey alike. Out here, it was either speed or stamina that would really matter. Just by watching her clumsy movements, Nayeon could tell that Jungyeon wasn’t very used to this. She followed closely behind Jihyo with her belly close to the floor, a position that looked very out of place in their current setting. Nayeon didn’t blame her. Jungyeon relied so heavily on the art of ambushing that she was totally lost without the trees. Habits were hard to get rid of, and she guessed that went for lifelong hunting techniques as well. Under Jihyo’s guidance, the two kept a good distance away from the hare. They inched closer only when they saw the best opportunity to do so but even then, they were quick to be cautious of every move. The two also divided up directions so that Jungyeon was situated on one side of the hare and Jihyo the other. They travelled at an equivalent pace to prevent any gap in their formation. From afar, Nayeon was absolutely fascinated by their great teamwork. For strangers, they seemed to have understood each other by simply moving. This sort of collaboration would be very useful to them soon.

 

An unfortunate gust of wind swept their scents directly to the hare, alerting it and causing it to break into a panicked sprint. Jihyo immediately darted, throwing herself towards it in a speed so rapid Nayeon had to blink twice. Jungyeon followed at her heels, closing in on the hare with every stride. Nayeon watched with total anticipation, and there was a strange urge in her leg to sprint out to their aid. But knowing the risk, she simply dismissed it as another instinct and sat still. With her eyes sharp on the field, shifting between Jungyeon and Jihyo, the oldest of their trio awaited for the final outcome. The chase should be over soon.

 

The hare, like all animals in their dark wintry world, knew its chances. There was still a small gap between it and its pursuers that had not yet been overcome. If it did, the white hopper would be logged between the wolves, surrounded and corned for them to quickly close in for the kill. Perhaps there was a certain quickness—and undoubtedly a survival reflex—in the hare for it to realize this before all hopes were lost. For a brief millisecond it halted, then quickly bolted back around. It was a very well-timed and eloquently done motion that gave the hare the advantage of a few feet ahead. The wolves had expected it—or at least Nayeon did because it was the oldest trick in the prey survival book—but the suddenness of it surprised them, and they broke their pace. Nayeon could see them scrambling to regain the close distance afterwards, leaping desperately yet still far away from their original positions. As for the hare, the effectiveness of its tactic seemed to have boosted its hopes. There were a few more instances where their nimble quarry suddenly switched direction, all of which placed the wolves several aching paces behind. Nayeon did not blame them, in fact, she pitied them the more they fell in speed. There was a clear difference between the lithe, small body of a hare and that of their own. They could only do so much to match its agility but if the stroke of luck had already decided their fate, they had no choice but to accept it. The hare was far ahead of them now, bouncing and relishing in its victory while the wolves slowed down. Jihyo watched until it disappeared into the frozen terrain then growling lowly, she walked back to Nayeon.

 

The two were panting heavily when they returned, tongues hung out and feet burning with every plodding step. Jihyo slumped messily down on her belly right next to Nayeon, her back leaning on the beta’s front leg but the older didn’t mind. She could feel Jihyo’s fast heartbeats vibrating through her body and again, she felt sorry for their wasted effort.

 

“I’m sorry.” Jungyeon suddenly apologized, walking towards them in a dreadfully slow manner. Jihyo frowned, and Nayeon saw her emerald optics softened.

 

“For what?” The alpha cocked her head. “We simply challenged the wrong hare.”

 

The younger beta laughed meekly in response, but there was still evident guilt on her face.

 

“I’m not too good with open chases.” Jungyeon pulled back her ears.

 

“You did wonderfully.” Jihyo assured.

 

And just like that, all talks about the hunt were dismissed as bad luck. It was fascinating, really—the way Jungyeon plainly accepted it without another word. Nayeon knew it was not obedience but rather an instinctive respect for the higher rank that had influenced her behavior. Sure Jihyo was younger and stood just at her shoulder, but she was still an alpha. And as wolves, the class distinctions were too firmly implanted in them by nature to leave any room for exceptions.

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

For two more days, they travelled onwards with nothing to fill their stomachs. The plains were endless and no matter how much Nayeon convinced them that they would be out of Jayrock soon, the empty miles still felt insipid. There was no game nor wolves in sight, just the three of them and the endless cold. At times, the three would take turns sharing stories just for kicks. The topics usually varied from Nayeon’s adventures, to Jihyo’s siblings, to Jungyeon’s hunting lessons with her father. It was a nice distraction from the constant weariness of their journey and placed them in a much lighter mood to cover the miles. As for the weather, they had been getting a lot of fog and no wind. Nayeon was thankful that there were no signs of a blizzard coming, but she hoped something would occur soon to take away this extensive grayness in their atmosphere. Suddenly, she was really thankful for Jihyo and Jungyeon’s existences.

 

On the third day of their venture, Nayeon saw some improvements on the condition of her leg. She didn’t need to be carried around anymore but instead of walking normally, she had to limp slightly to avoid putting too much pressure on the freshly healed tissues. Nayeon was pleased regardless and would have been well off if it wasn’t for Jungyeon’s keen eyes watching her every step. It was hard to concentrate on walking when her heartbeats refused to stop escalating.

 

About five hours after sunrise, a faint view of the mountain tops appeared to them. There was still a long journey ahead, but they were close, at least closer than before. The trio stopped for a quick rest—Nayeon and Jihyo curling up while Jungyeon decided to sniff around for mice burrows.

 

“She’s restless.” Jihyo laughed. “I told her the layer of snow was too thick for burrows.”

 

Nayeon followed Jungyeon with her eyes, mesmerized by her brisk movement whenever a new scent stole her attention. Her nose was close to the ground and her ears were alertly erected, giving her a rather austere complexion. If it wasn’t for the fact that Jungyeon saved her, Nayeon would have been extremely intimidated by her level of concentration. Jihyo was right—Jungyeon’s hunting skills were flawless. Her energy would be the saving grace of the team.

 

A half an hour went by and nothing changed. Jungyeon was still out searching with a determination that continued to impress her companions. Jihyo curled up in a ball and decided on a nap while Nayeon cleaned her paws idly. All around them, the silence dragged on. Any noise would mean life and aside from the three wolves, this winter had muted most of the life in the region.  _ Most _ , because they were certainly not the only ones left.

 

A terrible shriek broke the still silence of the plains, alarming the wolves with its intensity. Nayeon jolted and Jihyo perked her head, meanwhile Jungyeon turned back towards them from afar. Another shriek sounded through the air, followed by a sharp yelp, and then a distressed yowl that only provoked the trio’s curiosity as to what was going on behind them. While it did sound like a fellow canine, a pitch that high could belong to anything. The only guaranteed answer would require them finding out for themselves, but there was uncertainty among the wolves as they exchanged questioning looks.

 

“Doesn’t sound very far away.” Jihyo mumbled, still holding eye contact with the two betas.

 

There was a series of frantic barking after her comment, and Nayeon lost it then. Her curiosity led her to step towards the direction of the noise, breaking the stare with the bewildered wolves behind her. She turned her ears to where she’d heard the sounds and with delicate footsteps, she followed it until something came within her sight. Behind her were her group mates, following with the same matching silence. Nayeon stopped, eyes narrowing when she spotted the battle that was unfolding in front of her.

 

A wolf and a juvenile grizzly bear were face to face, snarling viciously at each other. Between them laid a moose carcass, freshly killed judging by the smell of it. The wolf was about the same age as Jungyeon if not younger, and she appeared to be an omega. Her coat was mostly russet with a few well-blended sandy white patches here and there. Nayeon saw her legs quivering underneath the menacing front she was putting up through her snarl. There were blood stains on the back of her neck that seemed to have dripped down to her shoulders, and her back fur rose to a level that marked her tenseness. Nayeon licked her lips, turning to the other two behind her.

 

“A pack wolf?” Jihyo asked.

 

“Very unlikely. She would have gone back to her pack by now.” Nayeon shook her head.

 

“Odd for an omega to be wandering around like that.”

 

“Very odd. She got some wounds too, but I suppose the moose is very tempting.”

 

That was true. Even from afar, Nayeon’s mouth was watering for a taste of fresh meat. Had she been more desperate, she would have challenged a bear for it too.

 

“What are we going to do?” Jungyeon looked out at the scene.

 

“There’s meat.” Jihyo turned to Nayeon.

 

Nayeon gave her an uncertain look. “But do you think she’ll want to share?”

 

“She might if we help her out. You’re good at negotiating, aren’t you Nayeon?” Jungyeon suggested.

 

The older shrugged, and Jihyo stood up. “It’s worth a shot. Besides, Jungyeon here is literally the size of that grizzly.”

 

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Jungyeon snickered.

 

The trio made their way towards the standoff cautiously and intently. They walked side by side each other, attempting to intimidate the bear by their numbers. The omega scented them before they approached and instinctively drew herself back a couple of paces in their direction. There was a quick flash of fear in her eyes that replaced itself with astonishment when the wolves surrounded the bear instead. As expected by its young age, the grizzly was driven into a state of panic. Power was now in the hands of the trio, and their flashing fangs were making that fact very clear. The bear spun around frantically until it realized that there was no way out of such a circle. The wolves were very thankful for its lack of experience.

 

Jihyo was the first to break the foreboding silence that engulfed them for the first two minutes. She jumped forward, snapping her jaw at the bear and swiftly retreating the moment it lunged for her. It was a distraction that worked better than she’d hoped, because the grizzly continued to swing at her with its claws, completely ignoring her fellows who were taking full advantage of its anger. Nayeon and Jungyeon each dove in to pull at a shoulder, tearing whatever they could latch their fangs on. First some fur, then skin, then bits of muscle that had the grizzly staggering in pain. The wolves’ assaults increased in aggression as the bear struggled, but they still kept their distances to prevent any furious paws that might come hurling their way. At about six minutes in, the bear’s blood stained most of the snow around them, and it bellowed a deep cry of withdrawal. Jihyo ceased her snapping to allow it space to limp out of the circle. Its steps were slow, exhausted, and drained but not enough to put out the flames of its life. The bear glanced dourly at the carcass, then at the omega as it dragged onwards, leaving behind a small trail of crimson. Defeat in this cold frosty world was inevitable, even to the biggest of fine beasts.

 

“A stroke of luck again?” Nayeon winked at Jihyo, licking the blood off her muzzle.

 

The alpha simply smiled and nodded, strolling towards the moose carcass not too far from where they were. Surprisingly, the omega was still there, chestnut eyes widened with her ears back and tail tucked between her legs. Jungyeon and Jihyo looked at Nayeon who stepped ahead to confront the wolf.

 

“We’ll offer you a piece of the kill. You’ve also endured for it after all.” The beta nudged at the carcass.

 

The omega remained still, unsure until Nayeon smiled to prove her sincerity. Jungyeon and Jihyo also sat down to appear a little less threatening. The omega shivered, yet she managed to inch a little closer. For a second, Nayeon thought she recognized her but couldn’t find much information in her brain to confirm it. The omega carved out a thin slice of the meat, eyes fixed on the three wolves ahead before sliding it into her mouth. She chewed, and they watched until it was swallowed.

 

“T-thank you.” The omega uttered abruptly.

 

Nayeon nodded, a little taken by surprised.

 

“U-Um...by any chance…” The omega tilted her head at Nayeon who waited uneasily under her gaze. “Are you Nayeon?”

 

Jungyeon and Jihyo’s eyes immediately turned to the beta, confused and puzzled.

 

Nayeon swallowed. “Yes…?”

 

“Ah, I knew it!” The omega’s face lit up, and a twinkle gleamed in her eyes. “You stayed at our pack one winter.”

 

“Did I?” Nayeon had a very long history with these type of sojourns, so it was no question she didn’t remember.

 

“Yeah. Your silver linings are unmissable.”

 

The beta laughed shortly, observing the blank faces of the wolves next to her. “Who are you, exactly?”

 

“Sana, but I think you would remember me better by my pack.”

 

“What pack is that?”

 

“The Black Creeks.”

 

“Ah, that pack to the far west?”

 

Sana nodded. “It’s quite far out of this region. I remembered hearing your stories from the younger pups.”

 

“Is that so?” The beta chuckled.

 

“I thought they were very fascinating and cool!” The omega exclaimed and a faint blush made its way across Nayeon’s face.

 

“Wow, I never thought you would have this big of a reputation.” Jihyo remarked.

 

“Neither did I.”

 

“Don’t lie. You were totally aiming for this.”

 

“I never!” Nayeon protested, obviously flustered.

 

“I saw the smugness on your face. It’s time to humbly accept your narcissism.”

 

“Anyways!” Nayeon turned away from her, and the alpha laughed satisfyingly. “Are your wounds severe?”

 

“I caught a few claws, but it's nothing too deep.” The omega licked at her shoulder.

 

“That’s good. Jungyeon, you know how to tr—”

 

A piercing snarl cut Nayeon off and before she could even grasp what was happening, she felt Jihyo’s side clashed roughly against hers. The alpha was thrown off her paws, yelping as a strange wolf seized her neck with its jaw. Nayeon froze, startled and baffled by the suddenness of the assault. The unknown wolf yanked at her neck, growling every time Jihyo resisted with a kick to its stomach. Luckily, Jungyeon was quick to react and broke the struggle by knocking over the alpha’s attacker with a powerful push from her broad shoulder. The strange wolf tumbled down but quickly jumped to its feet again, pearly white fangs aimed for Jihyo. Sana intervened this time, stepping in between them and shielding the tawny alpha behind her.

 

“Sana.” The aggressive wolf shot her a glare.

 

“I know them, Momo.” The omega firmly stood her ground.

 

“Who are they?!”

 

“My...friends...” Sana let herself slip and the Momo wolf caught it like a shark in bloody waters.

 

Momo was an alpha, and she looked nothing less like it. Even in her posture, a great sense of power flowed out from it in robust waves. Her features were sharp, defined, and muscular, flaunting the mastery of her rank above all. Her eyes were a striking ice blue, glowing impressively with a certain aloofness. Her coat was layered in a bluescale-like pattern with the darkest shade of navy on her back, a mild shade of blue in the middle, and a lighter whitish blue near her belly. To further enhance everything, three ragged scars ran across her left shoulder. She looked at Sana with a frown then turning away, she began walking.

 

“Come on.” Momo called, but the omega remained unmoved.

 

The bluescale alpha turned her head, eyes widening. Unlike before, they flickered with a faint forlornness.

 

“I don’t want to leave.” Sana stated, oddly assertive and stern for an omega in hard eye contact with an alpha.

 

Momo growled, not aggressively just frustratedly. She rounded back to Sana and whispered sharply, “Why?”

 

“Because they’re willing to share this kill.”

 

“I don’t want to eat their kill.”

 

“It wasn’t exactly  _ their _ kill.”

 

“Still, I rather not.”

 

“Well, I want to.”

 

“Then,  _ you _ can stay with them.” Momo huffed and spun on her heels again, trotting away from the omega.

 

Nayeon studied Sana’s expression, but she showed no signs of panic nor concern nor anything of that sort. She was rather calm, scarily so with this knowing look on her face. Momo was now a few feet away, occasionally glancing back to see if Sana was following her. The bluescale alpha walked for a bit more but stopped before she could go completely out of sight. She stared back, longer this time as if begging for Sana to change her mind. When she saw that the omega hadn’t shifted, Momo started to come back.

 

Sana didn’t say anything when the bluescale alpha returned. A plain smile spanned across her face and when Momo saw it, she simply rolled her eyes. The bluescale alpha flopped down on her belly about three inches away from Sana with her back to all of the wolves. She seemed to have shut them all out and busied herself with cleaning her fur. Sana only grinned.

 

Nayeon, Jungyeon, and Jihyo weren’t the only ones with an interesting dynamic around here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here u have tsundere Momorin  
> it seems bit slow BUT WE R GETTING THERE FOLKS  
> as for mimo, do not worry! it will happen!


	7. Cohesion

The kill was shared equally among all of them, and they all ate well into the evening. Momo only ate when Sana physically placed her share right under her nose, yet she still refused to look at anyone of them afterwards. She remained laying on her stomach with her head on her paws, and the only thing they really saw of her was her back, along with an occasional swing of her tail. Jungyeon had gone out to look for anything that could be used to dress Sana’s wounds. Jihyo told her to hurry since it was getting dark quicker than ever before, and Sana also assured her that her injuries weren’t severe, but Jungyeon—being the thoughtful and considerate soul that she was—only nodded quietly before heading out anyway.

 

Jihyo noticed that Sana’s friendliness was on a level that matched Nayeon’s perfectly. It was no wonder that they got along nicely, though a lot of it had to do with Sana’s admiration for the older which only boosted Nayeon’s self-esteem to a scary extent. Sana laughed frequently, never stayed in one spot for more than a few minutes, and vibrated with a powerful energy that Jihyo could only guess was exclusive to an omega. Nayeon seemed to bask in it all because Sana would respond to her every word with either the attentiveness in her eyes or a short giggle. Jihyo—though most of the things they talked about were foreign to her—did her best to smile here and there, mostly at the two wolves who were having a grand time across from her.

 

Jungyeon returned just as the stars came up, some lichen in her jaw as she jogged back to them. Jihyo couldn’t suppress an impressed chuckle when Sana spun around to show Jungyeon the bloody claw marks.

 

“Just how did you even…” The tawny alpha watched her in awe because they were practically in the middle of nowhere.

 

“They were on some fallen branches nearby.” Jungyeon answered her matter-of-factly. “They’re usneas and they grow all year round.”

 

Jihyo and Nayeon nodded, more to each other than to Jungyeon. When Sana was all taken care of, she resumed her conversation with Nayeon while the other two lounged around them. At some point, both of their voices lowered to a whisper.

 

“And did your alphas know?” Nayeon asked solemnly.

 

Sana nodded, a vivid bitterness in her tone. “Of course, though I doubt they cared.”

 

“Interesting. They were so kind to me, I thought everything was well.”

 

“Things were well for those that they favored.” The excitement in Sana’s eyes was now replaced with a growing fire.

 

“I’m guessing you weren’t one of those wolves?” Jungyeon joined in.

 

“No, I was somewhere in the middle. Though I never opposed them, I never had much respect for them. They only listened to certain wolves and loved to seek for opposers to punish. They were paranoid, which I never understood why.”

 

“Were there any real threats to be concerned about?” Nayeon asked.

 

“No, not that I ever knew of. Even if there was, I doubt anyone would dare to riot against their tyranny. But what they deemed ‘threats’ were absolutely ridiculous.” The omega stopped for a moment, glancing behind her before turning back. “Momo was one of them.”

 

Jihyo perked her head up at this, intrigued as Sana nodded to her reaction. The omega continued. “Many of their pups were weak, most didn’t survive and if they did, none of them turned out to be an alpha like their parents. Momo was the only alpha in our pack aside from them, but she was young so they didn’t try to kick her out.”

 

“Yet, she was still a threat.” Jungyeon concluded.

 

“Exactly. They never treated Momo like an alpha ever since she was born. Everyone else was discouraged to do so too. Her parents never objected, because it was either that or they would kill her. She ate last, blamed for random things, and was attacked or trampled for the oddest reasons. Us omegas seemed to have a better life than hers.”

 

For the first time in a while, a slow breeze swept past them, whirling up a few snowflakes with it. Sana watched icy twinkles of each flake being tossed into the air, studying it with such intensity that it startled the other wolves when she suddenly started talking again.

 

“So, she grew up that way. She didn’t talk and didn’t fend for herself either. Whenever they came to snatch at her throat, she would run away or hide so they wouldn’t get to her. When she was cornered, she would simply accept it and let them come for her. I thought she was really brave.  _ Real _ brave…” Sana’s eyes softened with a warmth that contrasted the freezing temperature of the night. “She didn’t eat for a time, because no one would leave anything left for her when she came. I started to eat last so I could bring her a little something more than just bones. She had this little cavern lodged within a small cliff she would climb to avoid everyone. I would stay there with her and informed her about things so she wouldn’t feel completely clueless. They kicked her out the minute she was old enough, and I left with her. I couldn’t allo—”

 

Sana was interrupted with a strange noise behind them. It sounded like a squirrel being crushed but when they all turned around, the sound reappeared with a sneezing Momo as its source. When the alpha stilled, a cheeky smirk flashed across Sana’s face. The omega lifted herself up and went over to Momo.

 

“You should have told me sooner that you were cold~” Sana teased before tackling Momo with her weight.

 

“Sana!” The alpha growled but didn’t do anything when Sana bit her ear playfully.

 

The two rolled around in the snow, Momo trying to pry Sana off while the omega kept assaulting her with light nips around the neck. Then, the bluescale alpha gave in and stopped struggling. Sana giggled, her tail wagging delightfully as Momo rolled her eyes.

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

Jungyeon told herself to ignore it, but she couldn’t seem to stop her muscles from tensing up every time Nayeon brushed herself against them. The sun had come up a few hours ago, but its rays were dimmed due to a cluster of gray clouds floating above. Jihyo woke up before her and was eating snow out of boredom while stretching. Sana and Momo were still asleep, cuddled around each other with their chests rising and falling almost in perfect sync. Nayeon had been glued to Jungyeon’s side since she woke up, nestling herself in the warmth of the younger’s thick fur. Jungyeon could only be glad that she wasn’t assaulted by Nayeon’s stray limbs this time.

 

“Jungyeon…” She felt the older stir.

 

Nayeon’s voice wasn’t loud, but it certainly broke the quiet atmosphere around them. Jungyeon didn’t know how to react. She simply stared at the older, watching her lips as they curled up into a smile. It was adorable and as much as Jungyeon wanted to, she couldn’t peel her eyes off Nayeon. That smile alone did something to her, or rather reminded her of the many others. She wasn’t stupid, but anyone with a brain would’ve probably noticed the same because of how obvious Nayeon was. Jungyeon saw and felt it all—Nayeon’s side glances when she wasn’t looking, the way Nayeon’s face lit up whenever she addresses her, and how quickly Nayeon got flustered whenever she accolades her. She missed none of it, yet had been more attentive than she would have liked about it. And as much as she loved to uphold her impassive front, she couldn’t help but think about it. A part of her mind accepted it as admiration, while another wished it was something else. She didn’t know which side to trust, let alone what to do about it. She never knew any other wolf outside her small family pack and never registered feelings well to begin with. She was also aware that the two of them were very different—one being better at dealing with social issues than the other. So to prevent herself from misunderstanding Nayeon’s intentions, Jungyeon decided to discard any assumptions until further notice. Not that she doesn’t like Nayeon’s focus on her, because she does, secretly almost. But she remained hesitant, afraid that any rash decisions she makes would ruin everything they had now. Their relationship was sacred to her—truly—because she wanted Nayeon to stay for a while. It didn’t matter how long, just long enough so that Jungyeon could still wake up like this, hear Nayeon’s stories about the things she was never able to see herself, all while witnessing the older’s wide gummy smile when she compliments her knowledge.

 

Nayeon muttered her name three more times, making the grin on Jihyo’s face wider with each. Jungyeon remained as still as a stone until Nayeon tucked back into her fur.

 

“She’s having a good dream, isn’t she? I wonder why.” Jihyo smirked, and Jungyeon shot her a glare.

 

It was the first time she teased someone other than Nayeon, and the tawny alpha was clearly very amused by it. Pretty soon, Sana and Momo were awake. The omega wagged her tail lazily to greet them, while Momo kept her steely stare. Nayeon, on the other hand, was still in a deep slumber. Jihyo said something about Nayeon’s exhaustion after talking the most last night, but ended up nudging her awake anyway. She wasn’t very successful at first, so Jungyeon offered to help by detaching herself from the older, cutting off her source of warmth. Nayeon groaned and cupped her muzzle between her paws.

 

“We’ll leave if you don’t wake up.” Jihyo threatened.

 

“You wouldn’t dare.” Nayeon growled but jumped up in a panic when she heard Jihyo walk away. The sandy beige beta shook herself, a grumpy expression on her face.

 

“Come on now, I have a pack to lead.” Jihyo mimicked her wink, and Nayeon grimaced.

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

Sana was a master flatterer. Every time Nayeon managed to pinpoint a certain landscape, she bounced curiously forward with clear enthusiasm. The omega’s brown eyes would sparkle—bright, vibrant, and dazzling. Sana had a confidence that was nearly elusive to the common omega, a drastic contrast from her alpha companion. But it only made their interactions even more interesting, because Momo never returned nor denied Sana’s dashing smile. She accepted it like an everyday incident, occasionally scowling whenever Sana got a little too excited and nudged her until her shoulders were sore. Momo didn’t glare at Jihyo, Nayeon, and Jungyeon anymore, but she kept her distance while staying close to Sana. She only really respond to the omega, often with a nod or a hum but then again, the other three couldn’t even muster enough courage to even look at her. And ever since their aggressive meeting, Jungyeon’s cautiousness kept her close to Jihyo’s heels, placing a gap between the two alphas. Not that they had any intentions of ever doing that again—Jihyo being too respectful, and Momo not being able to forgive herself if she ever upset Sana—but  _ just _ in case.

 

They plowed on across the empty tundra for five days, stopping once a while to dig around or to rest. The mountains were closer in sight, but that seemed to be their only source of hope. Around them, there were no signs of the living or dead. The only thing they ate was snow, usually out of bitterness to fill the vacant pits of their stomachs. Momo was a little more relaxed now, probably too hungry to care about anything else.

 

On the sixth day, everything was absolutely dreadful. It was windy, incredibly windy as if it wasn’t already ridiculously cold. The wolves barely had enough sleep the night before. Sana and Momo huddled so close together that if it weren’t for their different fur palettes, they could have been easily mistaken for one wolf. Nayeon was clever enough to squeeze herself in between Jihyo and Jungyeon—both of them equally clueless as to how she managed to pull it off while asleep. She also ended up kicking them both fairly. And to make everything worse, their oldest had countless rounds of nightmares where she yelped so loudly it stung Jihyo and Jungyeon’s eardrums. They would have complained if they weren’t scared for their lives first. Nayeon’s cries were sharp, agonizing, and raspy, almost like someone had strangled her by the throat. The eerie silence of their wintry landscape made it even worse. All the lights from the stars and moon were shut out by a heavy blanket of gloomy clouds. It was too uncomfortably dark to not expect impending danger.

 

Sana talked less in the morning, and their steps all seemed to slow steadily with the little energy they carried left. They stopped quicker than usual with Nayeon complaining about an ache in her healing leg. Yet even without an injury, everyone else felt the same ache. The pain only seemed to disappear when Jungyeon came back from her usual scouting session, eyes bright and tongue dangling.

 

“Bison.” She said eagerly, and Jihyo glanced at her suspiciously.

 

“I haven’t seen a blade of grass in days.” The tawny alpha went back to licking her paws, yet the light in Jungyeon’s eyes still lingered.

 

“I picked up tracks. Fresh, a few minutes at most. They’re heading towards the mountains too.” The beta informed excitedly.

 

Nayeon looked at her, thought about it for a moment, then got on her feet. “They could be a herd from the valley.”

 

Jihyo’s eyes darted between the two betas and while a part of her didn’t want to waste more energy than they had, she couldn’t risk not trusting Jungyeon’s experienced nose. The tawny alpha got up, shook herself, and nodded. She walked forward but halted when she saw that Nayeon was going with them also.

 

“I’ll be fine.” Nayeon assured her. “A little exercise won’t hurt.”

 

“I think we had too much exercise already.” Jungyeon eyed her leg uneasily. Jihyo nodded.

 

“I won’t run too much. I’ll just tag along and help whenever I can.”

 

“Alright, be careful. You’re our North Star.” Jihyo reminded, almost mockingly but Nayeon let it slide. They walked a few feet ahead before realizing that neither Sana nor Momo was tagging along. “You’re not coming?”

 

Sana shook her head.

 

“Why not?” Jungyeon asked.

 

“I-I don’t do well hunting. It’s best if I watch. I’ll just wait for you guys.” She looked nervous, and they saw her usual confidence vanish. She nearly looked terrified.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll help.” Momo stepped up next to them.

 

There were exchanged glances from Nayeon, Jungyeon, and Jihyo that showed they felt the same thing. Not only was this the first time Momo spoke to them, it was also the closest she had ever stood next to them. Sana had a half surprised, half uncertain look on her face. Hunger really changed some wolves.

 

Despite not participating in the hunt, Jihyo insisted that Sana follow them until they finished tracking the bison. A sudden wave of energy seemed to crash against them all, and they all felt light-footed even if the hunt hadn’t started. Jungyeon led them with her nose until a herd of fifteen bison emerged in the distance. Then, the front position was offered to Jihyo who took them a little closer. Momo was in her own world. Unlike Jungyeon and Nayeon who kept their eyes on Jihyo, Momo looked straight ahead. Her ears were alert and pointed straight forward on her head, her eyes seemed to have run through every single bison with just a quick glance, and she stood tall as if wanting them to notice her presence. The other three didn’t mind it until they saw that the bluescale alpha was closing in on the herd with confident strides. Though a little taken back and worried, they didn’t interfere.

 

Momo targeted a bison and went right for it, snarled rather loudly as she nipped at its heels. It was startled along with the three wolves watching behind her. Momo let it run, then she repeated the same sharp bark and charged for a different bison. At the fifth charge, the bison were stomping in frustration. Jihyo began to realize that Momo was trying to herd them in order to seek out the weaklings. Jungyeon noticed also—the amazement clearly visible in her eyes. It didn’t take long before the three of them joined Momo. Sometimes, they had to retreat a few paces when one of the big bulky males tried to headbutt them. Yet, they remained relentless and determined, collecting themselves for another charge whenever they were sent back. Soon enough, the bison were fed up with the aimless attacks at their rear and began fleeing.

 

Nayeon jogged behind while the other sprinted ahead to follow the herd. Momo kept to her own lane and speed, not too fast to bypass Jihyo but not too slow to be with Nayeon. They drew closer by the seconds, desperation fueling their every leap. All of a sudden, Momo snarled fiercely again. Jungyeon and Jihyo weren’t thrown off course by it, but were certainly confused. They were even more baffled when Momo raced ahead, so rapidly they barely saw it happen. For the short flash of time that Jihyo saw her, Momo’s eyes were glowing, and it didn’t seem like she even blinked due to her immense concentration. Her leg muscles were sure something, because they were so enlarged and tensed Jihyo thought they might pop. Momo dove for a young bison that the other three hadn't even seen. She made one jump to lock her jaw around one of its back legs, yanking at the limb so intensely and viciously that the huge animal slipped a little. It certainly slowed things down which made it easier for Jihyo and Jungyeon to close in for the kill.

 

Nayeon rejoined them shortly after the bison was down, howling cheerfully to Sana who bounced happily towards their direction. The meat they had all so desperately wanted was right in front of them, yet it remained untouched. An awkward and anxious silence spanned between Jihyo and Momo, but none of them looked at each other directly. It was only right that Momo take the first bite since she did the majority of the work, and the hunt probably would have dragged on much longer had it not been for her decisiveness.

 

Finally, Jihyo cleared her throat. “You should eat first, Momo.”

 

The amount of strength it took her to utter those words was evident in her voice. The bluescale alpha lifted her eyes to look at her. Jihyo had no idea what exactly, but there was something so chilling about staring directly into Momo’s sky blue orbs.

 

“You first.” The bluescale alpha shook her head.

 

Two simple words yet they were said with such sincerity, it was odd for any of them to believe they came out of Momo’s mouth. Not that she ever did anything that wasn’t genuine, but just because she was so aloof they never knew what to think of her. Sana always assured them that she wasn’t a bad wolf, which they believed just never saw it so clearly before now. Jihyo, out of all, seemed to be the most affected by the words. She was embarrassed but couldn’t refuse to drag herself next to the kill, because Momo was watching her keenly with an invisible emanation of respect. She urged herself to take an extremely thin slice of the meat, swallowed it hardly under the fixed glances around her. On the corner of her eyes, Sana wore the biggest and fondest smile she’d ever seen on a wolf.

 

There was more than enough meat, so they took their time eating, well sated mentally and physically. Despite the dead carcass, they were still able to pick up a scent that sent all their heads upwards. On a gentle slope a few feet away, a frail thin wolf stood inspecting them. It was much smaller than all of them and appeared to also be much younger—one and a half years old to be exact. The juvenile’s ears twitched above her gray eyes, and there was an overall tenacity about her whole posture. Her tail was between her legs, yet one of her front paws was frozen in a midlift. Her ribcage was so clearly shown they nearly bulged out of her hickory fur coat. It was very obvious what she wanted from them. And by now, Jihyo could easily predict what would happen next.

 

Hospitality was becoming the foundation of their pack again, which was certainly rare, but the wolves were definitely rarer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One in a million huh  
> Btw I toggle between Jeongyeon and Jungyeon and usually go for the latter bc its quicker, so sorry if that ever bothered u  
> This chapter has a lot of uwu moments but reading all these comments still gives me the biggest uwu <3


	8. Hint

A generous piece of bison was tossed to the small hungry wolf. The pack watched as she noticed and crept forward. It was clear that she wanted it but out of modesty, her feet heavily dragged itself closer, almost afraid that they would jump her the moment she came near. When the meat was within reach, her back legs propelled her to dash for it, snatching the chunk in a quick flash before sprinting off. She was ridiculously strong for a starving wolf.

 

There was more than enough left for everyone to fill their bellies until they could barely stand. They didn’t leave any leftovers, because that would be wasteful of a much needed kill. The pack rested for half an hour, passing through their mini food comas and lounging about to clean themselves—or each other.

 

“Sanaaaaa!” Momo cried for God knows how many times now.

 

The omega only giggled as usual and wagged her tail in an attempt to look innocent. It was very hard, because almost all of Momo’s shoulder fur was in her mouth. Sana yanked at it playfully, which earned her a sharp bark from Momo. That only encouraged Sana to chomp on her ear, then tugged it with the same intensity to ignite an annoying growl from the alpha. Momo inched away from her, hiding her muzzle in her paws when she’d reached a far enough distance. Sana bounced forward regardless, poked Momo’s cheek, and the older immediately shot up to seize the same paw in her jaw.

 

“You’re so mean~” The omega whined, extracting her paw between Momo’s teeth.

 

After that, the alpha had a few peaceful moments to herself. Sana had found some new entertainment in wiggling her back around in the snow, making the glistering crystal snowflakes spin and twirl in the air. Momo scratched behind her ear while Sana continued to roll around, occasionally giggling like the little weirdo that she was. Soon enough, she grew bored and was back pestering Momo. The alpha stood up and glared at her, but Sana’s tail still swung with anticipation. The omega laughed—this time more high pitch with pure mischief and satisfaction. Momo knocked her over at that with her shoulder, wrestling Sana onto the snow. The omega squirmed underneath her but eventually laid still to receive the rebuking snarl from Momo. Sana only smiled meekly, chestnut eyes mocking the older as she booped the alpha’s nose with her paw.

 

“Kisses!” Sana yelled before immediately wrapping her front legs around Momo’s neck.

 

The alpha had no time to react when Sana pulled her in. She could only grimace in disgust when Sana attacked her with random licks on the face. Momo gave up as always, flopping onto the snow while the omega assaulted her with waves after waves of kisses and overwhelmingly affectionate nuzzles. Yet, a part of her liked it—Sana knew she did.

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

They wandered for two more days before the rocky cliffs at the foot of the mountain greeted them. The weather was just a little cloudy and with the exception of a light snowfall, the pack traveled in a relatively calm atmosphere. The big bison meal gave them new strength as they drew closer, taking fewer breaks now. Nayeon’s leg was much stronger, patches of fur were growing back finely to cover up where the wound used to be. They followed the rocky barrier until they could seek out an entrance. There was none so far. Nayeon could not guide them anymore with her limited knowledge of the Beartooth Range. Even if she didn’t say anything, everyone could tell that Jihyo was starting to become skeptical about the whole search.

 

Somewhere along the way, Nayeon suddenly started sprinting. She darted past them—past Jeongyeon who nearly fell backwards in shock. Their oldest had targeted something a few feet away from them, engaging it at such a speed it concerned Jeongyeon. She really had no reason to be worried, because Nayeon’s injury had healed way better than she thought. Still, there was a brooding fear within Jeongyeon that she couldn’t shake off. Her muscles tensed as if she was the one pursuing whatever Nayeon had running, and a certain wave of emotion crashed over her that left her running after the older. It was very overprotective of her—she knew—but Jeongyeon really couldn’t help it.

 

When she came closer, it appeared to her that the white spot Nayeon was chasing after was a rabbit. Although she very much wanted it to be over soon, Jeongyeon didn’t interfere with the hunt. She simply stayed behind, far enough to stay out of the way but close enough to come help if anything were to happen. She watched as Nayeon came within killing range, mesmerized by her every movement. She shouldn’t really be _this_ surprised. It wasn’t like she didn’t know Nayeon could hunt, but she never thought Nayeon was actually really good. Maybe Jeongyeon was the only one who noticed, but Nayeon sure looked cool as hell dashing through the snow like that.

 

Nayeon didn’t waste another second before leaping forward, locking the rabbit in her jaw. Apparently, she collided with it a little too hard and tumbled down with the prey in her mouth. From afar, it looked as if she had tripped, which seriously freaked Jeongyeon out. The younger beta bolted right to her side, panic fueling her strides. Nayeon stood right up when she arrived, a good thing though it did make Jeongyeon a little embarrassed. There was a bloody smear across her muzzle as she grinned, golden eyes shining and tail wagging. Jeongyeon chuckled as she followed the older back to the rest of the pack. Sana wagged her own tail in accordance as the two betas returned, and Nayeon shot her the usual wink. It was a small kill, even smaller when they tried to divide it up among five wolves. It was more like a snack, yet they savoured every bite of it.

 

They kept moving until the afternoon. There were still no signs of any entrance, but the interesting smells along the cliffs surely stirred a lot of talking among the wolves. Most of it was about mountain goats, shrews, cougars, and a lot of describing for the clueless Jeongyeon. Even Momo added a little something to the conversation. Sana was in the midst of exaggerating her and Momo’s encounter with a cougar when Jihyo suddenly stopped. She was leading them this entire time, and they only realized something was wrong when she lagged behind. Their leader was sniffing the air, a perplexed look on her face. Jeongyeon was about to question her, but a familiar scent filled her nostrils, and she understood exactly what was wrong.

 

It was the same wolf—a delta it seemed—that they’d given a piece of the bison to, except she was super close this time. And sure enough, she was standing ahead, watching them again. Her ears were tucked back as well as her tail, but her same fierce glare remained, maybe a little more intense this time. On the corner of her eyes, Jihyo saw Momo and Jeongyeon tense up at the same time. Their back fur rose, and it wasn’t a very good sign. The tawny alpha shifted herself closer to Nayeon, nudging the beta’s shoulder with her cheek.

 

“Tell her that we’re just passing or something. She might think we’re threatening her.” Jihyo whispered.

 

Nayeon affirmed her with a nod and stepped forward. She didn’t get far before the delta wolf snarled, and Jeongyeon immediately gravitated to Nayeon’s side.

 

“We’re just passing. We wish to continue if you don’t mind.” The older beta felt a rush of confidence, and she was sure—somewhat—it wasn’t because of Jeongyeon.

 

The delta wolf hid her teeth. She took a good look at all of them, then at the ground, then moved herself aside. Her posture was still defensive and her eyes still challenged them daringly, but she cleared a nice path for them. Nayeon began leading the rest through, her paws gripping the snow uneasily.

 

“Chaeyoung!” A voice echoed inside one of the cliffs.

 

A second wolf appeared from what looked like a small cavern on top of a short rocky platform. She wasn’t very far away from them, if not directly across from where they were. She was a beta, about two years of age at most. She had bright lemon-colored eyes and a fawn coat mixed with a bit of white and light brown. The color patterns made her look a little calico-like. Her presence certainly made the Chaeyoung wolf even more distressed.

 

“Stay inside, Dahyun.” The delta warned.

 

“What are you doing?” Dahyun stepped forward anyway, unfortunately tripping on a rock and came sliding down right next to Chaeyoung.

 

The younger wasn’t impressed. Up close, Dahyun seemed to be recovering from some wounds. It was obvious from the ruffled patch of fur behind her ear along with the bits of uneven hair along her neck. She wasn’t as threatened by them as her younger companion and cocked her head upon seeing the pack of five.

 

“Who are your friends?” She asked.

 

“They aren’t my friends.” Chaeyoung replied.

 

“Oh.” Dahyun eyed the pack, but her gaze never shifted into anything else but pure curiosity. “Well, hello there!”

 

The fawny beta stepped closer and Chaeyoung blocked her path with a frightful expression. “What are you doing?!”

 

“Saying hi to them.” Dahyun answered as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

 

“We don’t know them!” Chaeyoung hissed. “They were the wolves I got the meat from the other day. They could be coming back to—”

 

“Ah, you guys were the one who killed the bison?” Dahyun interrupted her. No one really knew how to properly respond, so Nayeon took it upon herself to nod slightly.

 

“Thank you, it really helped us out.” The fawny beta smiled.

 

“What are you saying?!”

 

“They could provide us with some help, Chaeng, you never know.”

 

“We don’t need any help.”

 

“Says the wolf who took their kill the other day.” Chaeyoung scowled but allowed Dahyun to come closer to Nayeon. “Are we in your territory by any chance?”

 

Nayeon shook her head. “No. We...uhm...don’t really have one.”

 

“Ah, that’s good. I thought for sure the valley didn’t belong to anyone.”

 

“The Noura Valley???” Nayeon jolted and her face lit up. “The one within these mountains?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You’ve seen it?”

 

“Yeah, we’ve been in there for the past two weeks.”

 

The glow in Nayeon’s eyes and her rapid tail movements were enough to decipher how happy she was. “So, you know how to get inside? Like an entrance?”

 

“Of course, it’s not that far away actually.”

 

The oldest of their pack swung around gleefully as if making sure that everyone heard it. Jihyo shot her a smile but in the back of her mind, she knew Nayeon would never stop nagging about how she knew it all along.

 

“Can you show us?” Nayeon asked hopefully.

 

“Sure.”

 

Yet, none of them moved. It was getting dark, but the smoky clouds above them made it nearly pitch black. Only a little orange sunray speckled the horizon enough that it showed somewhat of a transition, but all of them knew nightfall was quickly approaching. Nayeon actually didn’t mind. As long as such an entrance existed, she didn’t care how long it would take them to get there.

 

“Why don’t you guys come in?” Dahyun invited.

 

Chaeyoung wore a blank expression, and everyone turned to Jihyo. Their leader simply shrugged. By the time everyone made it up the stony steps to the little cavern, they didn’t seem like strangers anymore. Dahyun was relaxed and had a friendliness that matched theirs, but it felt more like a repayment than anything. Their share of bison was much needed, because it didn’t look like Dahyun was able to hunt and Chaeyoung didn’t seem like she had any luck doing so. The pack entered the small cave with Nayeon introducing every single one of them as they entered. In the far back corner of the rocky space, a large bed of alpine moss and turf lined the cold floor. Across from it was a little pile jumbled with mountain flowers and plants. Jeongyeon stared at it without realizing how long she’d been doing so, confused but intrigued nevertheless.

 

“Chaeng used to be the apprentice of our pack’s medic.” Dahyun explained, studying Jeongyeon’s face.

 

The black and white beta nodded. Chaeyoung sat near her medicine heap, tail swaying peacefully. She didn’t seem to mind now and instead listened with her ears slightly twitching as Nayeon explained their situation. Dahyun nodded, especially at the part about their ambition of establishing a home within the valley.

 

“We stumbled on it by accident, but it is a nice place.” The fawny beta commented. “We would have stayed if we weren’t haunted by the fact that it belonged to someone else. We also weren’t aware that it had such a history.”

 

“Where’s your pack?” Sana asked.

 

“Oh, somewhere on the other side of the mountains.”

 

“So, you guys are runaways?” Nayeon assumed.

 

“Kind of.”

 

“We were outlaws.” Chaeyoung corrected her.

 

Dahyun rolled her eyes. “We were _considered_ outlaws. I don’t think we did anything wrong.”

 

“What did you do?” Sana stared at her with round eyes.

 

“A right thing that was misunderstood.” Dahyun huffed.

 

Chaeyoung sighed. “My parents—the alphas—were assassinated by some of my cousins. But because I was a beta, I couldn’t take over. It also wasn’t right to let the murderers take over, so Dahyun and I got into a very complicated quarrel with the rest of the pack.”

 

“I knew who did it all along.” Dahyun held her head up in a sense of pride. “I saw it through them—their guilt, our leaders’ blood between their teeth. I pointed out the culprit with my own two eyes, yet no one believed me. But I knew...I knew that one day everyo—”

 

“You’re making it way too dramatic.” The delta cringed when Dahyun’s voice lowered.

 

“Well, thank you, Chaeyoung. I am a very good storyteller.” The fawny beta then continued. “I promised Chaeyoung to punish those who’d done such crimes. But then on one fateful night, just as I was about to ambush them, they discovered me and then we engaged in a gory brutal comba—”

 

“They beat her up.”

 

“Chaeyoung!” Dahyun growled and the younger laughed with not a hint of regret.

 

“You shouldn’t have done it by yourself. There were plenty of other wolves who were on our side, you know.”

 

“This is _my_ storytelling time, child.” Dahyun glared at her.

 

“We’re literally half a year apart.”

 

“I did fight for your sake, you know.”

 

“Yeah, and got yourself stomped so badly, I had to drag you out of there in the darkness.”

 

“That’s how much I love you, midget.”

 

“Hey!” Chaeyoung prowled closer to nip at her tail. Dahyun yelped and swung around while Chaeyoung snickered.

 

As storytime came to an end, the night wrapped the wolves in a heavy blanket of drowsiness, and they dozed off one by one. When midnight drew closer, Jihyo was the last one still awake. She laid on her back, eyes studying the little cracks within the rocks above them. She was contemplating way too many things at the same time, and it was becoming a little too immense. Most of these thoughts were about the future. She looked at the wolves around her and assured herself that everything was fine. She was doing fine. That her pack—funny how she even got to call them hers—was doing fine. Yet, a small part of her still worried. Because with all the stories Sana, Momo, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung brought to them, she didn’t know how to feel about her own leadership. She wanted to be someone better that they could trust, someone that didn’t remind them about the past they’d left behind. And as their leader, she saw fulfilling that her goal, otherwise she might have to deal with the terrible disasters that occurred in a pack without good leadership. Heck, she didn’t know what good leadership really meant. At the same time, she knew she couldn’t disappoint Nayeon or any one of them. Yet, the insecurities whirled around her head, occupying her thoughts until she knocked out from all the overthinking. Jihyo blamed both the silence of the night and fate for putting her in such a mindset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a shorter chap with a bit of cannibalism bc apparently Nayeon ate a bunny  
> Before everyone riots about Mina, it’ll all be worth the wait, I promise  
> Also a samo fic is up!


	9. Blizzard

Morning came with nothing but loud gushes of wind and seven very lethargic wolves. It wasn’t like they _lacked_ sleep. They all slept pretty well into the late morning, and it was only until noon that all of them were awake. Jihyo, surprisingly, was the last to flutter her eyes. She blinked once or twice upon hearing the roaring of the wind outside, ears twitching slightly whenever a frosty breeze slipped its way inside their small cavern. Their cave was surely little, but it wasn’t too bad. The tight spaces between them managed to trap a lot of heat, which was always a welcoming thing in this dreadful winter. Jeongyeon was really the only one who noticed that their leader had awoken. The other wolves were too occupied with lazing around to notice. The cold had made them sluggish, apathetic, and motivated to conserve as much physical energy as possible. Food was a definite rarity now, and that would only worsen as time went on.

 

Jihyo sat up idly, moving little but there was enough space for her front legs to rise and stretch. She let out a yawn, gaping her jaw out to its fullest and displaying the wonderfully terrifying rows of her pearly fangs. She closed her mouth only to spot Jeongyeon staring at her. Jihyo wondered how long she’d kept it up for.

 

“What? Do I have a beetle on my face?” The tawny alpha turned to her.

 

“No.” Jeongyeon shook her head. “You just look awfully tired.”

 

“Well, I _am_ awfully tired.”

 

“Then, go back to sleep.”

 

“I think I had enough sleeping.”

 

“You don’t look like it.”

 

“I can’t go back to sleep even if I want to.”

 

“Ah…” Jeongyeon nodded slowly as if it was the most tragic thing in the world.

 

Jihyo hadn’t even really thought about how little she’d slept when she woke up. The feeling didn’t even hit her until Jeongyeon pointed it out, and she was even more surprised that the beta noticed it since she woke up. Yeah, she was a little sleep deprived but that had never bothered Jihyo much.

 

“We can’t have you tired.” Nayeon suddenly crawled her way to the leader’s side. “You’re our strength~”

 

Jihyo cringed as the sandy beige beta winked. Even in her weird quirky sense, she wasn’t wrong. She really _was_ the leader of an actual pack. The feeling and the daunting responsibilities it brought still seemed as fresh and new to her as it did last night. Not that she wasn’t capable, but there was definitely a lot on her shoulders. Besides, the winter wasn’t getting any better and one wrong move—one wrong footing—could land them a spiralling avalanche to each of their demises. But dwelling wouldn’t do her good, Jihyo knew that well. Nayeon was right—as she’d always been in her mysterious ways—that Jihyo was their strength. It was all quite subtle, really, because she never recalled anyone deliberately deeming her their leader. Maybe, that was why it seemed so sudden to her. Maybe, that was why she finally became conscious that she had been leading them all along. Maybe even before Jeongyeon when it was just only her and Nayeon. And the older _knew_.

 

God, Nayeon was scary.

 

A scratching sound soon echoed through the cave—the sound of claws against smooth rock. Dahyun was standing up, ears completely perked and pointed directly forward. She dipped her head a little while her eyes remained narrowed and focused on whatever was in the distance. Her body was still, but the muscles in her legs were obviously tensed in visible bulges. Dahyun squinted a few times, and that was enough for Chaeyoung to glance confusingly at her.

 

“What are you doing?” The younger wolf asked.

 

“I think I saw something.”

 

“What?”

 

“I don’t know. That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

 

It was pretty hard to see whatever was outside—well, at least to Chaeyoung—because not only were they up at a certain height, the whirlwinds were splattering flakes of white everywhere. It was extremely stormy outside.

 

“Maybe, you’re seeing things.”

 

“I have doubts about a lot of things but never about my eyesight, Chaeyoung.”

 

“Maybe…”

 

“It’s brown.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Whatever it is, it’s brown.”

 

“Maybe, it’s a rock.”

 

“Or maybe, it’s a bear.” The fawny beta turned around. “Rocks are either gray or white around here, not brown.”

 

“I’ve had enough fun with bears.” Sana shivered, nuzzling herself deeper into Momo’s fur. The omega had tucked herself underneath the older, literally gluing her back to the alpha’s belly. Momo could protest but hey, at least it kept her from whining.

 

“Are you sure you saw something?” Jeongyeon was starting to stand up as well.

 

“Yeah. I wouldn’t miss it amidst the snow.”

 

“Where did you see it?”

 

“There.” Dahyun pointed her muzzle forth. “In the middle but a little bit above. You have to really see through the snow, though.”

 

Momo pushed herself up, earning a grunt from Sana, but the omega seemed equally intrigued as the rest of the pack. “I think I see it.”

 

“You do?” Dahyun’s head snapped towards the grayscale alpha.

 

“Yeah.” Momo nodded and padded to the mouth of the cave.

 

Jihyo instantly jumped up. “Wait.”

 

“I can go take a look.”

 

“Alone?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I’ll go with you.” Jeongyeon took a step.

 

“Are you sure? I’ll be quick. I saw where it is.”

 

“Are _you_ sure?” Nayeon joined in.

 

“Yes.” Momo nodded firmly at her.

 

She was capable, honestly. Aside from her fearless attitude, Momo was really all scars and muscles and ready for literally anything. She was built for it, mentally and physically. But the final verdict would have to come elsewhere, and Jihyo found herself suddenly in the center as all the wolves turned their eyes to her. The pressure was immense.

 

“I’ll go with you.” The leader decided.

 

She stepped up to where Momo stood waiting at the entrance, and the other alpha stared at her with wide eyes. Jeongyeon tensed up almost instantly. Losing two alphas wasn’t a very good thing. Then again, it wasn’t their place to say anything about it anymore. They had given her the authority and because of that, the decision had been made. So with slight hesitation, Momo allowed Jihyo to lead her down the cave.

 

They were immediately batted relentlessly by the howling wind and its ridiculous speed. The two alphas did their best to remain on their feet, but it was hard. They were trying not to get knocked down by the fierce wind and keep their hides intact at the same time. It was also freezing, because the wind was practically ripping their thick fur coats with every swing of its wrath. They needed to hurry. Momo was leading since she’d seen the object of their curiosity, and Jihyo tailed quickly behind, afraid that she would lose the older alpha in this whirlwind of white.

 

“Can you still see it?” The tawny alpha asked just to make sure. Her voice was half cut off by the horrendous weather, but Momo seemed to understand by picking up the chopped syllables.

 

“No, but I can smell it.” Came the equally inaudible reply.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I don’t know. I just smell blood.”

 

They pressed on for what seemed like two eternities before a little patch of brown finally emerged from the completely white scenery around them. The alphas half-ran towards it, letting their excitement go against the screeching wind. Jihyo began to smell it too. They closed in on it, and Momo stopped so abruptly that the tawny alpha nearly ran into her.

 

“It’s frozen.” The older said.

 

Jihyo looked down. It was the carcass of a dead marmot. It definitely looked frozen with the little pieces of ice that glistered throughout its body.

 

“Let’s take it.” The leader nudged forward.

 

She reached down and locked her jaw into the neck of the carcass, wincing when some of the ice broke and pierced into her gums. She withdrew, licking her chops and tasted the iron. It was only a little bit, and she decided to continue dragging the corpse back. Usually, a marmot wouldn’t need two wolves to bring back, but this was different. It was cold, the wind didn’t ease, and the frozen state of the carcass made it quite heavy. Jihyo was wobbling once she managed to heave it up fully. Momo came in to help, of course, taking the back of the marmot with her own jaw. They moved quickly, balancing the weight between their muzzles as they fought against the forceful wind . Even through the wild gushing of snow, Jihyo could tell that Jeongyeon was waiting for them at the entrance. And the beta was doing just that, perking up her head when Momo and Jihyo came close. She reached down and offered to help them with an open jaw. Jihyo let her have the neck she’d been holding on, and Momo let go also. In pure strength and agility, Jeongyeon leaped up in one fluid motion with the carcass still in her mouth. Jihyo followed.

 

She got halfway up the rocky stairs to their cavern before a wrong placement of her back foot sent her sliding downwards. She attempted to grip on something with her front paws but because it was all slippery icy rocks, she didn’t find much luck in doing that. It simply just made her even more unbalanced. She yelped and Jeongyeon could definitely hear her had it not been for Momo. The grayscale alpha caught her leader before she could slide down completely, breaking her fall with her back. Jeongyeon came running. Her rapid footsteps audible by the sound of her claws clicking against the rocks. She looked down but instead of seeing the awful sight she’d expected all day, she saw Momo carefully pushing Jihyo back up to ascend the rocks again. Eventually, the both alphas made it back inside unharmed and without another accident. Before they settled down to distribute their shares of the kill, Jihyo made sure to nod a quiet “thank you” at Momo. The grayscale alpha only smiled, and jeez it was a rare and magical thing when Momo smiled.

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

Later into the night, the temperature had dropped dramatically. It was scary to think that it could be even _more_ freezing than before. But by now, the weather outside was nearly unspeakable. It was as if Mother Nature had an extremely bad day and was taking it out on the entirety of living life. The wolves were hunched up against each other, staying as far as they could away from the mouth of the cavern. The marmot wasn’t much, and they were only partially full if not still hungry. But it was better than nothing, and they probably wouldn’t be able to leave the cave again after that. The blizzard seemed to only accumulate by the hour.

 

Midnight came and swept over the area with nothing but darkness. Nothing changed. Nothing was likely to change. Nothing but a faint scraping noise that caught nobody else’s ears but Chaeyoung. The delta didn’t mean to wake up completely because of it. She didn’t even realize she had woken up in the middle of the night at all. She woke up squinting to adjust to the blackness of the night, and her ears twitched almost uncontrollably. The noise was really bothering her. It rang and drummed into her ears with increasing intensity. She wondered if the others heard it too but glancing around, she saw that they were all soundly asleep. The scraping grew closer. Her heartbeat escalated. She heard a small huff. The hair on her back rose until they appeared like spikes along her neck. This wasn’t good.

 

There was a moment of silence as the scraping stopped. Chaeyoung allowed herself to take a deep breath. She might be seeing things. Yes, she _must_ be seeing things. She must be so hungry that she’d started to hallucinate and maybe all she needed now was a good sleep. Yes, she should probably go back to sleep. Perhaps, it was just the wind. Rocks fell and scraped against each other all the time. They were lodged within a cliff after all. Yes, it must be just that. The delta lowered her head back onto her paws, closing her eyes as she took another big inhale. She should sleep. But she did not get to sleep. She quickly reopened her eyes shortly after ten seconds had passed. She smelled something.

 

Something like a wolf.

 

She hesitated and didn’t really trust her senses at that point. Well, she was here with six other wolves, of course it would smell like wolves. But something was definitely off about this scent. The scent of a female delta. She was sure that she couldn’t be smelling herself. Could she? Maybe, she was going crazy after all. Chaeyoung was about to ignore it altogether when the scrapping returned. Then, a big black blob covered the mouth of the entrance. Mossy green eyes peered back at her, wide and glowing. Chaeyoung instinctively stood up and snarled. Her tail rose up to curl in a hostile stand, and she made a bold leap forward. The intruder seemed surprised enough to step back. Fear was still rushing through Chaeyoung’s bloodstream and heading up to her brain, but her natural instinct was quick to translate it into utter aggression. Behind her, she heard the rustling of fur, and she knew the pack was waking up.

 

“Chaeyoung?” Dahyun’s raspy sleepy voice called.

 

The delta took another daring step and again, the intruder retreated as she advanced. The stranger was now pushed back into the open ledge. Chaeyoung snarled a second time and snapped her jaw. The intruder, despite her large frame, was struggling as the wind ripped and tore at her coat. She gripped her claws into the rock to try and steady herself. With what little moonlight that managed to shine through amidst the blizzard’s clouds, Chaeyoung made out that her coat was a dark gray. Well predominantly gray, because there was certainly little hints of white and black. Something stood out to the delta, though. It was glistering and silver and appeared to be attached on the intruder’s left ear. It was an ear cuff, but not that Chaeyoung would ever know that. The cave bustled with commotion as the other wolves woke up. There was a growl that seemed to belong to Jeongyeon.

 

“Chaeyoung!” Dahyun yelled this time. She was right behind her because the younger could hear her so clearly.

 

The intruder was now in a very submissive position, or at least she was trying to while holding against the wind. Her ears were tucked back, her tail was between her legs, and she was shaking—both from the cold and the wolves.

 

“Who is this?” Dahyun asked, and the younger shook her head.

 

“How on Earth would I know?”

 

“What are you doing here?” Dahyun stepped forward, standing side by side with Chaeyoung.

 

“W-what?” The intruder croaked.

 

“Why are you here?” Dahyun tried again.

 

“I-I…” The stranger was struggling intensely because her feet looked like they might crash into each other any minute.

 

“She’s not going to fight us, let’s let her inside and talk.” Nayeon suggested.

 

One of the intruder’s foot nearly slipped, and she let out a low whine. Chaeyoung withdrew. Dahyun invited her in. The stranger didn’t need to be told twice. She happily darted inside with the rest. When she was far enough away from the vicious assaults and invisible claws of the wind, she sat down exhaustedly. She panted so hard that Chaeyoung was afraid she might swallow all the air inside the cave. Her tail curled neatly beside her, and the delta noticed that there was a small pale scar near its base. She was also a huge wolf, maybe even bigger than Jeongyeon, because her head seemed to be touching the ceiling of the cave.

 

“Why are you here?” Dahyun popped the question again.

 

The intruder collected herself, then replied. “I was looking for a place to escape the blizzard. I didn’t know it was already occupied.”

 

Dahyun hummed. A long string of silence dragged across them. They couldn’t possibly throw her back out there. They could, but Jihyo probably wouldn’t let that happen. Their pack was built on hospitality after all, and she knew better than to let a dangerous force in, except the intruder didn’t seem dangerous at all. She was even younger than Chaeyoung. Aside from her towering size and peculiar ear cuff, she didn’t appear to want any trouble. She simply wanted a place to escape the frozen hell that was going on outside. That was reasonable enough. Jihyo thought it was reasonable. The tawny alpha turned to their oldest for some assurance. Nayeon only blinked idly at her. The beta knew what she was asking for but refused to give it. The alpha was the one making decisions after all. When Nayeon proved to be no help, Jihyo turned to Jeongyeon. The black and white beta only looked back at her, positively confused.

 

“You may stay with us if you wish.” The leader announced after some very intense critical thinking. It was mainly her doubting the entire situation, but that was a bad habit, so she disregarded everything and just went for it.

 

“Really?” The intruder eyed her uneasily.

 

“Really.”

 

The youngest glanced around, wrapping her tail closer to her body as she looked nervously at the rest of the wolves. One was planning on ripping her skin out, after all. She gulped and murmured. “I’m Tzuyu.”

 

Jihyo started the introduction and the rest followed. The conversation just flowed after that.

 

“You don’t look like you’re from around here.” Nayeon began after failing to control her curiosity.

 

“I’m from Hesterdale.”

 

The other wolves cocked their heads, but Nayeon's eyes seemed to light up. “The city??!”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I’ve never met a wolf from the city. I’ve always wanted to go there myself.”

 

“You wouldn’t want to go there alone.”

 

“No?”

 

Tzuyu shook her head. “Wolves usually come by with big packs. If you go alone, you probably won’t make it out alive.”

 

Dahyun laid down on her belly. “Why? Is it because of the humans?”

 

“No. The dogs won’t leave you alone. They’re very territorial.”

 

“Dogs...” Nayeon nodded. “But _you_ don’t have a pack.”

 

“I used to be the leader of a stray dog gang.”

 

The rest of the wolves were impressed alright. Nayeon let out a hum and continued asking. “Then why are you here in the middle of the blizzard?”

 

“Stray dogs aren’t very loyal creatures, you see. They wanted to overthrow me or something. I didn’t stay to find out. I went back to the forest but as you can see, I’m struggling quite a lot.”

 

“It’s not just you. This winter is really something else.” Jihyo assured.

 

Tzuyu nodded. Sana let out a rather loud yawn, and Nayeon chuckled. Jihyo decided that they should get some rest. The night had been very hectic after all. First the venture outside of the cavern and now this. It was funny how things could change so rapidly in a matter of minutes. One moment Tzuyu was some enemy wolf and now, she was huddled at the back of their cavern with the rest. It was funny how Jihyo was roaming the plains all by herself a few weeks ago, and now she was the leader of this ever-growing pack. Even if she couldn’t properly grasp it, time was a fascinating concept.

 

Tzuyu lodged herself in one of the corners, careful not to bump her head on the ceiling as she crawled down. She laid next to Chaeyoung, mumbling a small “sorry” when she accidentally kicked the older lightly on the shin. It was awfully cramped in here, and it didn’t help that Tzuyu was trying to share this little corner with another wolf. Chaeyoung was small enough, but the space was smaller. After some shuffling and more accidental kicking, Tzuyu finally settled down. The other delta moved herself to allow their youngest some space, and Tzuyu was very grateful for that. So much that she nearly forgot how Chaeyoung was just about to rip her throat out moments before. They squished together pretty closely, and Tzuyu began to wonder what would happen if the older did attack her. She stared at Chaeyoung’s muzzle and wondered what would happen if she was caught in the fangs under it. She was much bigger than the hickory delta, yes. Still, she didn’t think she would stand a chance. There was just something so intimidating about the way the older stood and the fierce glow of her silvery eyes. But suddenly, Chaeyoung curved her lips and beamed in her direction before closing her eyes.

 

Chaeyoung definitely looked better with a smile. Tzuyu thought it was a very nice smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been away from home but now I am back!


	10. Bliss

The storm went as suddenly as it had arrived. The wolves huddled up for two days, which were barely noticeable since they mainly hibernated for most of the blizzard’s duration. One day, they woke up to a perfectly clear bright sky, almost a little too clear for a winter sky. The sun beamed down, reflecting its rays off the crystal snowflakes like nothing had happened at all. Every sign of the blizzard was gone, vanished as if the storm never happened. There was obviously a lot more snow, but the sunlight made it look too pretty and natural to be the same snow that’d attacked their faces a few days back. Everything simply looked nicer. The temperature rose. Everything _felt_ nicer. It was odd, but a big relief nonetheless. The wolves certainly appreciated it.

 

They left the den the moment they could. Chaeyoung and Dahyun exchanged a few sad looks before they left. The place was their home for quite a while. But now, they were on their way to a better home. A bigger new home that had promised itself to be permanent. They were finally going to enter the valley under Dahyun and Chaeyoung’s guidance. Though they had all woken up relatively hungry, the auspicious journey encouraged them on. Nayeon was _especially_ excited. The sandy beige beta shot to the front of the line once they departed, lodging herself between Dahyun and Chaeyoung as they led the way. Jihyo only chuckled. It was only right that she get to be the first one to see the valley she’d always prophesied.

 

They half-jogged along the rocky cliffs for the entire morning, stretching their legs from all that time napping about. A few stomachs did growl occasionally, but the wolves tried to distract themselves with how pretty the weather was. Jihyo tagged idly behind the pack with Jeongyeon, Momo and Sana were in front of them, Tzuyu and Chaeyoung were ahead of those two, and Dahyun seemed to have taken the lead with Nayeon.

 

It was quite funny, really. Tzuyu talked to Chaeyoung the most among all of them, yet she was the first one who flashed her fangs at her. She liked the older delta quite a lot. It was kind of obvious. The way she leaned in a little whenever Chaeyoung was saying something, the way she wagged her tail gently whenever Chaeyoung laughed, and her meek smiles. Their conversations, in general, were clear evidence of how well they had been getting along. Chaeyoung was the naturally more curious wolf in their pack, and her innate confidence allowed her to never hesitate in asking Tzuyu about her city life. Their youngest, in her own equally bold ways, never hesitated in filling her in on every detail. Some were very gruesome actually, like that one time Tzuyu’s crew chased an enemy pack’s dog out of their turf. Together, they’d tackled the scrawny german shepherd, tore off one of its ears, and chewed off a chunk of its tail. Violent, yes, but Chaeyoung simply nodded without reacting in any form of absolute bewilderment. Tzuyu was impressed with her coolness. Considering that _she_ was the dogs’ leader and the one to signal the attack, she admired that the older did not think of her as some cold-blooded terror. Not to mention their size differences. And this was the wolf Chaeyoung stood up to a few nights ago? All by herself before anyone else noticed? A wolf double her size? Had Tzuyu not been stressed enough about the wild and the high winds, she might have just devoured her. Yet, she didn’t. She probably would never be able to, because Chaeyoung was fierce, much more than she looked and extremely terrifying when she shifted into her defensive stance.

 

Tzuyu liked this little pack, actually. Aside from their hospitality, she found comfort in the vibrant personalities of the wolves and their dynamics around each other. It was much more relaxed than her hectic old life. She didn’t have to wake up worrying about a raid on another pack or on a butcher’s shop. She didn’t have to care about how to stop the dogs from fighting each other, and she _definitely_ didn’t have to fear about getting caught by a human one day. After all, she had to do a lot to get where she was. To keep that position was even harder than getting there. Assassinations were not uncommon among these gangs. Yet, she alone had mastered over the vicious street dogs and kept them in firm order. Well, at least until recently. But it was all over now. She didn’t need to hold onto her hide all the time, and the fresh air made it all worthwhile. Back on the streets, car smokes and rotting garbage cans seemed to be the only thing you could breathe in.

 

It was all going well, but something unfortunate _had_ to happen before they made it to their dreamlike valley. It was kind of her fault, though. Dahyun warned her about the deep snow, but she was quite too busy talking about what might be in store for them to notice. That was how their beloved eldest tripped and fell straight into a snow ditch. She panicked but managed to crawl halfway out of it. Her back legs, however, were very much stuck. The snow had collapsed down around it, and the blizzard had turned the once soft flakes into hard ice. Nayeon tried kicking, but the snow was too rigid. She yelped as the pack gathered around. Jeongyeon, who was at the end of the line, darted to the front in a matter of seconds. After seeing that the other beta couldn’t move, she made an effort to dig out the snow. Where the snow was too hard that her claws slipped right off, she used her fangs to break through. She was very concentrated and eager, which made Nayeon ever the more mesmerized by watching her. The sandy beige beta pulled herself out the moment her legs could move. She shook herself fully, disposing some flakes off her fur and back onto the ground.

 

“Are you ok?” Jeongyeon came forward to look her over.

 

“Yes, thank you.” The older nodded.

 

Nayeon slid past her, nudging the younger’s chest with her shoulder. She smiled, and Jeongyeon was left stunned as the rest of the pack moved on. She joined in at the back of the line again, eyes glued to her paws as she walked.

 

“Psst!” Jihyo leaned closer to her.

 

Jeongyeon looked up, confused. “Why are you whispering?”

 

“Because you like her.” The leader continued in her quiet voice. It was actually not _that_ quiet since Sana could hear her and giggled.

 

“I do not.” The older denied plainly.

 

“You went stiff for a second when you saw her fall, Jeong, I saw you.”

 

The beta growled. “She could have gotten hurt. I would have done the same if any of you fell.”

 

“But would you just stand there dumbfounded if any of us nudged you?”

 

“Agh! Stop it, I looked dumb, I know.”

 

Jihyo smiled. “Just admit it already.”

 

“I _don’t_ like her. Why would I like her?”

 

“Why would you not like her?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Is she not likable?”

 

“No...” Jeongyeon said rather quickly.

 

Jihyo laughed again. “Then, I don’t know, Jeong.”

 

“Stop teasing me.” The older snarled and bit Jihyo’s neck playfully.

 

When the leader wiggled her way out of the death grip, Jeongyeon turned away. The orange in her eyes darkened a shade as she tucked back her ears. “She wouldn’t like me back anyway.”

 

“Do you know that?”

 

“...No…”

 

“You should have seen the way she looked at you.”

 

“Mhm.” Jeongyeon only nodded at that.

 

The doubt was still circling in her mind and the leader knew it. It was obvious by her still tucked back ears and lowered head. Jihyo, however, decided to drop the subject. That was something Jeongyeon needed to find out for herself. It was something they _both_ needed to find out either alone or together.

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

The Noura Valley’s entrance was in the center of a rockfall. Large piles of snowy boulders guarded it from either side, leaving a clear pathway in the middle. It looked as if a random wall of the mountain range had been pulled down. Beyond the opening, there were sights of evergreen trees and more white tundra plains. They all knew they’d reached their destination when Nayeon let out the loudest happiest howl known to canines. She stood in front of the entrance for a bit, head tilted upwards where the empty space between the cliffs met the blue sky. Her eyes glistened as golden as the sun, and she smiled. The wolves waited patiently behind her, a form of respect because they knew how much she wanted this. They were waiting for her to take the first step inside. But Nayeon didn’t, instead, she turned around towards their tawny leader. The smile never left her face.

 

“Well? Are you going to fulfill the prophecy for me?” The sandy beige beta cocked her head. The tease was evident in her voice.

 

Jihyo rolled her eyes. She chuckled but stepped forward, nonetheless. She passed every member of her pack, passed the smirk on Nayeon’s face, and passed the rockfall that led them into their new home. The wolves followed her, basking in both the fresh cool air and the lingering pride around them.

 

The valley was too perfect that it was almost fantastical. It was big, but not too vast to be a cozy and secure home protected by the mountain’s walls. A forested area outlined nearly all around its perimeter, tall green pines contrasting against the gray rocks. The valley was divided into two sections—the high valley and the lower valley. The lower valley was bigger, consisting of the entire eastern side of the whole valley and a little bit to the west of the rockfall. It was all snowy flat plains, a perfect natural hunting ground. A frozen lake laid at its southern end and connecting to the lake, a narrow creek zigzagged out to cut the lower valley in half. A steep incline on its western side led up to the high valley—almost like a very long hill—thus providing the barrier that separated the two sections. The higher valley had three empty caves, all of which laid on its southern front. The three dens varied in size, one being obnoxiously bigger than the other two. A small pond rested in its central north, and a waterfall cascaded down on its western end.

 

The wolves took their time exploring the entire territory until the late evening. If things weren’t already looking good enough, it appeared that the lower valley was home to a herd of caribou. The wolves managed to take down an old member of the herd as they passed. All that wandering around made them even more hungry than they’d come, and they took chase the moment they could. Not everyone participated in the hunt, however. Jeongyeon, Momo, and Tzuyu beat them into tackling the unfortunate prey before they all had a chance. The meal was a refreshing bonus to conclude a day of nonstop venturing. The wolves ate and in the meantime, Jihyo thought this was the perfect time to get organized. If they were going to settle down as an official pack, they were going to need some type of structure. That would come with individual roles, and Jihyo was more than eager to get them started on deciding who would do what.

 

They skipped over the leader herself because her role was obvious enough. There was to be a hunting team under Momo as the lead hunter. She was an alpha after all, and they felt like she should be the leader of _something_ at least. Although unlike most alphas, Momo hated being the center of things and more responsibilities just irritated her. She accepted this position, mainly because she excelled at hunting in general. A scouting team was to be formed also because they were no longer nomads. If they were to claim this territory, they needed to enforce it properly. The mountains had already provided a natural shield around them but for extra security, the scouts’ duties was to do daily patrols, scent markings, and report back any suspicious sightings. Dahyun was to be the leader of that team, because her eyesight was just too insanely good. Chaeyoung and her excellent hearing qualified her for the role as well but due to previous medical training, she would also act as their medic. Tzuyu, incredible for both her strength, size, and experience, would be both a scout and a hunter. Sana opted to stay back as the keeper of the dens. She had a mysterious issue with hunting and while none of them knew why—except maybe for Momo—they didn’t think too much about it. Omegas usually didn’t participate in hunting anyway. As for Jeongyeon and Nayeon, they were to be Jihyo’s two advising betas due to their seniority within the group. Together, the three of them—the “management team”, Dahyun had proudly nicknamed—were the glue of the pack and were obliged to participate in hunting or any useful activities whenever they could.

 

“We should have an ambassador.” Nayeon suggested in the middle of their talk.

 

“Eh?” Sana cocked her head.

 

“A what?” Jihyo turned to their eldest.

 

“An ambassador. All great big packs have them.”

 

“I don’t think we really need one, Nayeon…” The leader glanced around. “Not with this mountain range surrounding us.”

 

“Oh, come on! The Ice Whiskers had one.”

 

“And how do _you_ know this?” Dahyun laughed.

 

“I got a chance to meet them once in my lifetime.” Nayeon beamed with pride.

 

“Ah, right...” Jihyo nodded slowly and hesitantly.

 

“You met the most legendary pack of the _entire_ Ivic region?” Dahyun eyed her skeptically.

 

“Yes.” Nayeon stated confidently. “I _had_ to meet Yoona first before Taeyeon.”

 

“So, we should have an ambassador _just_ in case some random venturers like Nayeon come, and we need to greet them.” Jihyo concluded after rolling her eyes. Chaeyoung couldn’t hold back a chuckle.

 

“ _And_ to negotiate with other packs.”

 

“I don’t think we live in a very open area to get many diplomacy visits.”

 

“The Starset Fangs are _much_ smaller than us, but they still have one!”

 

Dahyun raised a paw. “Let me guess, _you_ met Wheein as well.”

 

“Of course, I did! Moonbyul took me hunting once.” Nayeon raised her head up rather narcissistically.

 

“Since you’re basically an entire wolf encyclopedia, why don’t _you_ be the ambassador?” Jihyo offered.

 

“Fair enough.” Nayeon nodded. Judging by her smirk, it was what she had been going for all along.

 

Their leader stood up. “Alright, why don’t w—”

 

“Wait.” Chaeyoung interrupted. “You all know what I’ve been noticing?”

 

The pack exchanged looks and shook their heads.

 

“We need a name.”

 

“She’s right.” Nayeon’s eyes lit up at the thought of further officializing their pack. How could she have forgotten about _that_?

 

“Eight Nice Wolves.” Tzuyu stated rather confidently. Jeongyeon blinked at her.

 

“Something…a bit _cooler_.” Dahyun suggested and their eldest nodded in quick agreement.

 

“Eight Cool Wolves.” Tzuyu tried again. It rolled off her tongue just as calmly and seriously as the last name. Momo actually chuckled, but not in a mocking way or anything. She liked Tzuyu’s mind.

 

“I saw a red canary today.” Sana blurted out rather randomly.

 

“You saw a bird in the middle of winter?” Momo gawked at her.

 

“Yes.” Sana nodded furiously. “It could be a sign.”

 

“She has a point.” Nayeon studied the omega’s _very_ convinced face.

 

“We are _not_ going to be called the Canaries.” Dahyun intercepted.

 

“The Rosy Canaries!” Sana jumped up, tail wagging fast.

 

“No…” Dahyun objected.

 

“Maybe something about flight?” Jeongyeon contributed.

 

“What about flight?” Jihyo turned to her.

 

“I don’t know.” The black and white beta shrugged. “Something.”

 

“The Rose Feathers.” Chaeyoung suddenly declared. Nayeon looked at her like she was the most creative wolf in the world.

 

“I like that.” Tzuyu smiled.

 

“Elegant.” Jeongyeon nodded.

 

“Cool enough.” Dahyun added.

 

The rest of the wolves dipped their heads in accord.

 

“Then, the Rose Feathers it is.” Jihyo approved.

 

They’d finished going through everything just as the night sky fell down upon them with its sparkling stars. The moon embraced the entire valley under its silvery glow, and the wolves began heading onto the higher valley. Whatever was left of their carcass—which wasn’t much—was left for the ravens to finish. They had not quite decided what to do with the other two caverns, but the largest one was definitely going to be their main den. It was massive and had a few layers of rocky ledges to sleep on. They entered the vast cavern, glancing around as they went in. This time, the ceiling was much taller than Tzuyu. The wolves quickly spread out and settled down across the cave—Jihyo flopped down in one corner, Jeongyeon sat down next to her, Nayeon stayed near the mouth of the cave, Chaeyoung leaped up on a ledge, Tzuyu laid down at the other corner, and Dahyun, Sana, and Momo were just starting to walk inside. The bluescale alpha suddenly let out her signature dying squirrel sneeze midway in. She shook against Sana, then sniffed. Her sky blue eyes narrowed.  
  
"I think I smell something." She glanced around.   
  
"What?" Sana leaned closer to her. Her tail curled up at the tip.   
  
"I don't know, like a wolf. It's very faint."   
  
"Maybe, you're smelling the old wolf pack that used to live here."   
  
"Wouldn't that be _too_ long ago?"   
  
"You have a pretty sharp sense of smell, Momo."

 

The bluescale alpha hummed, but Sana could tell she was still suspicious. Within the next ten minutes, most of the wolves were already fast asleep. The journey had taken its toll on them. Jeongyeon actually felt a bit restless. It was strange, because she never had a problem with sleep before. She tapped her tail soundlessly on the rocky floor, blinking into the darkness as she laid there. She caught glimpses of the silver lining along Nayeon’s back and watched the way the older beta’s chest rose and fell. Funny, how the older was the first thing her eyes wanted to find. Jeongyeon wondered why she was so far away tonight. Usually, Nayeon slept right beside her. She wouldn’t want to complain, of course, but it certainly felt colder without Nayeon. It was alright, though. She could manage. She would be ok. Hey, at least she was safe from hearing Nayeon’s babbling whenever she spoke in her sleep. Jeongyeon smiled, but she wasn’t satisfied. In fact, it made everything much worse.

 

An unexpected rush of adrenaline dominated her bloodstream before she knew it, and she found herself standing up. There was a concealed boldness in the way she padded out from her original position towards the cave’s entrance. She stopped upon reaching the sleeping older beta, mouth dry and ears perked in total alertness. Nayeon looked prettier up close. Jeongyeon didn’t know what she was doing, or what she was trying to do, really. Her focus was just completely on Nayeon—the way she breathed, the soft patch of fur around her neck, and the warmth that was vibrating off her. Jeongyeon felt it. She was drawn to it like a moth under a blinding light. And she gave into it, out of what she’d reasoned to be sheer exhaustion and drowsiness. Yeah, it _totally_ wasn’t like she thought about what Jihyo said earlier or anything.

 

Jeongyeon lowered herself gently next to Nayeon, her legs shaking just a little bit more than her heart. She felt her belly hit the cold stone floor just as she felt Nayeon stiffen. The older’s ears rose. Jeongyeon’s heart dropped. Nayeon swung back around and blinked at the younger beta.

 

“Aren’t you afraid of being kicked?” Nayeon suddenly grinned.

 

“I can manage.”

 

“It’s cold here.” The older whispered.

 

“Not when you’re here.”

 

Nayeon stared at her long and hard. It wasn’t a bad or necessarily good look. In fact, Jeongyeon had no idea how to determine it. The darkness just made Nayeon’s expression ever more confusing.

 

“I don’t mind, but if you mind then I’ll—” The younger beta readied herself to leave when Nayeon let out a soft laugh.

 

“No, silly. Lay back down, of course, I don’t mind.”

 

And Jeongyeon did just that. They curled up against each other as they always had. This time, however, it was different. They both felt it, because neither of them could sleep. Nayeon laid there, blinking and wondering how Jeongyeon could still smell like pine trees after all this time. Perhaps, she was born with it. The sharp woody scent put her at ease nonetheless, and Nayeon stopped questioning it. Meanwhile, Jeongyeon silently cursed herself for approaching the older like that. What was she thinking? She should have left Nayeon alone. The older _did_ decide to sleep all the way out here for a reason. It must be her. Maybe, she had been too obvious, and Nayeon figured out her feelings. Maybe, she was trying to put a distance between them. Maybe, she didn’t want to upset Jeongyeon because she didn’t feel the same. Maybe, Jeongyeon should know her place.

 

“I can’t sleep.” Nayeon lifted her head up to look at the younger. Her golden eyes glowed in an angelic gleam.

 

“Yeah, it’s ok. I’ll just leave.” Jeongyeon began sliding out of their little cuddle.

 

“What? No.” The golden light shattered as Nayeon narrowed her eyes.

 

Jeongyeon froze. Their eyes found separate paths towards each other. Nayeon was waiting on her for something, but Jeongyeon was also waiting back. The silence created a crushing pressure that daunted on them both. Jeongyeon hated it the most. She was confused and tired. She didn’t want to make another mistake but at the same time, the warmth in Nayeon’s eyes returned and it tempted her. It pricked at her hide, and she _hated_ it. Yet, she didn’t hate Nayeon. No, she would never.

 

Jeongyeon slowly closed the distance between them. The moment she was within reach, Nayeon suddenly leaned in and tucked her face underneath Jeongyeon’s chin. The older nuzzled her tenderly. Jeongyeon’s breath hitched, and her mind emptied itself of everything but Nayeon’s overwhelming warmth. They were both burning up, weren’t they? It wasn’t just comforting—it was secure. Jeongyeon somehow lost herself in it after they held the position for a few minutes, basking in everything it was supposed to mean and could mean. It made Jeongyeon stop thinking. And her semi-conscience led her to stare at Nayeon’s ear, which seemed to twitch slightly whenever she breathed. They were so close. She didn’t know when, but she stuck her tongue out and ran it along the rim of the older’s ear. Nayeon shivered underneath her. That seemed to have sparked some sort of reminder within Jeongyeon, because the younger withdrew her head immediately.

 

“S-sorry.” She choked out.

 

“Good God, _stop it_.” Nayeon commanded sweetly. “Why are you sorry?”

 

“I don’t know. I did that and—and…” Jeongyeon’s ears lowered behind her head. Well, this was _embarrassing_. “I don’t know. You might not like it?”

 

Nayeon repressed a smile. “When did I ever say that?”

 

“I don't know. I’m just scared.”

 

“Of?”

 

“...Nevermind, you wouldn’t like me anyway.”

 

“Jeongyeon.” Nayeon growled softly. It sounded more reassuring than annoyed. “Look at me.”

 

Jeongyeon locked eyes with her. Then, she realized she couldn’t escape. Nayeon’s eyes had her frozen solid on the spot.

 

“I have _no_ reason not to.” Nayeon began endearingly, and already Jeongyeon felt helpless under her softening gaze. “Who am I without the Jeongyeon that _saved_ me, _protected_ me, _cared_ for me, and now the Jeongyeon who _loves_ me?”

 

Jeongyeon would have melted at every word if she wasn’t already _burning_ under the golden glimmer in Nayeon’s eyes. What had started out as a dim flame of a candle was now consuming her in its boiling blaze. It was kind of like their love, she thought. An endless growing combustion that heated them both up until they fully succumbed to it. The fire stripped off a layer within Jeongyeon that wouldn’t have been removed otherwise, and she was glad to let it run through. She stayed silent until Nayeon nudged her cheek with her muzzle.

 

“Now go to sleep already.” The sandy beige beta smiled.

 

And Jeongyeon wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOUBLE UPDATE BC YALL DESERVED IT  
> As a 2na stan it's hard for me too ok  
> Btw I discarded some of the old roles in the intro bc I felt like they were unnecessary, also Momo is a BLUEscale alpha i keep saying grayscale bc Tzuyu’s gray askjdksa


	11. Thief

Like a well-oiled machine, the Rose Feathers functioned perfectly in their roles for four good days. They were getting used to their new lifestyles and growing closer together in the process. Teamwork was important in any wolf pack, but they seemed to have mastered it in just a few days. The dynamics were just too strong. They all just clicked. By the second day, Sana took it upon herself to place some tundra turfs on the den’s floor to add better comfort. The pack decided to let Chaeyoung use the smallest den as her medical clinic. In between the scouting patrols, she had been collecting winter flowers and herbs within the forest to stock up the place. It looked very colorful, and honestly more an art gallery than a medic’s den. Momo and Jeongyeon prowled the lower valley daily to check on the prey populations. They had to be careful not to overhunt. It was winter after all and although the valley had a decent amount of prey, they should only hunt whenever they needed to. After the first caribou that they’d brought down, they still hadn’t eaten a full meal. Momo, as the considerate hunter that she was, did bring back a rabbit or two for them to snack on throughout the days.

 

Jeongyeon and Nayeon’s behaviors had changed drastically around each other, and everyone felt it. Jihyo pretended like nothing happened but deep inside, she was grinning every single time the beta pair played in the snow together. They had never been _this_ at ease with each other before. It was always a silent exchange of discreet glances whenever one of them wasn’t looking at the other. Life, in general for all the wolves, was actually a lot easier than before. They had different roles and new responsibilities, but they spent more time playing now that they didn’t have to travel. They worried about less and spent the days enjoying the landscape instead. Pack duties were distributed well across the wolves, and they felt more secure within the new home as time went on. Everyone seemed to have their own favorite place to dwell. Dahyun usually hung out near the frozen waterfall, Chaeyoung disappeared under the forest’s shadowy pine trees, and Momo would take short naps near the frozen lake’s shore. One time, Nayeon took them ice fishing there. She didn’t have much luck, because the fish were too fast and Jeongyeon didn’t allow her to go past the shallow bank. Whenever she missed a fish, their eldest would turn around and pout. Jeongyeon simply nudged her on the neck tenderly for reassurance. _That_ was when everyone knew something had _officially_ changed between them.

 

On the fifth day, Momo led the hunting team—which was no one other than her and Tzuyu, really—along with Jihyo, Nayeon, and Jeongyeon out to take down another caribou. The wolves worked fast. It seemed that they knew each others’ styles well enough now. Momo and Tzuyu led at the front due to their quick and aggressive attacking style, Jeongyeon and Jihyo ran along either side to prevent the prey from shifting directions, and Nayeon stayed at the rear to complete the little formation. It was like a deadly trap that was inescapable, and the caribou slowed down its speed out of full realization. It began to stand its ground, yet that was only a vain last attempt to survive. It was five wolves against one, and Momo’s crushing jaw alone could have done the job. By the time Nayeon joined them, Tzuyu was already howling to signal the others. They sat waiting for the rest next to the kill, tongues lolling out to catch their breaths. Instead of hearing the wolves arriving to the meal, they heard a faint howl in the distance. It was Sana, and the omega wanted them to come to the pond. Momo stared at Jihyo, confused. The leader wasn’t very sure what the reason was herself, but she suggested that they go. Momo had a bad feeling about this.

 

They approached the small icy body of water to find Chaeyoung in the pond, Dahyun sitting by the bank, and Sana next to her wagging her tail so hard it was fanning snowflakes everywhere. The hickory-coated delta was in the water with two sheets of broken ice floating around her. The water wasn’t deep, but it was up to her neck. Before Jihyo or Jeongyeon could ask, Chaeyoung dipped her head down and splashed around in the water as she moved. When she came back up, a silvery fish was between her muzzle. Nayeon dropped her jaw. Chaeyoung shook herself as the fish continued jerking.

 

“I would have gotten one if _I_ was allowed in the water.” Nayeon pouted again.

 

“I would have let you if we were at the _pond_.” Jeongyeon reasoned carefully. The older shot her a glare, and she smiled.

 

Momo’s brooding feelings had turned into a reality. The pack came back to find a big chunk of the caribou’s flank missing. There were no signs of a blood trail anywhere. It was as if an eagle had swooped down to snatch a piece. Even with its sharpest talons, an eagle wouldn’t have torn off a piece this big. At first, Nayeon suggested the culprit to be a coyote, but Momo’s nose found the scent of a wolf. It was the same smell she’d detected earlier when they first arrived in the den. An intruder was here somewhere, and it seemed that their daily scent markings did not drive it off.

 

“A gamma female.” Momo reported after sniffing around and filtering through the scent of blood.

 

“A gamma…” Jihyo’s eyes widened.

 

Nayeon hummed in fascination. “I’ve only ever met one in my lifetime.”

 

Gammas were the most elusive wolves among the ranks. They were just as mysterious and mystical as they sound. They possessed strong natural intelligence but rarely really committed themselves to social environments. Unless attached to a pack since birth, an independent gamma was usually never spotted. The one that stole from their kill appeared to be a loner.

 

“We’ll search for her in the early morning.” Dahyun suggested when they gathered around to divide what was left. Chaeyoung offered to eat her fish instead.

 

“I’ll come with you.” Momo’s voice was low and bitter. She shot Dahyun a determined look, her striking light blue eyes darkened as the younger wolf nodded. Momo was the leader of the hunters after all. She couldn’t let a thief run around and steal her hard work. Jihyo, on the other hand, wished she could feel just as angry. She sensed the other alpha’s frustration and found nothing of the same within herself. _She_ should be the one getting mad. This was her pack’s food for their well-being after all. Her easygoing nature, although a fairly valued trait for a leader, was standing in the way. It wasn’t like she didn’t care. She did, just not enough. Jihyo was never a wolf to be easily provoked anyway.

 

The pack soon dropped the subject of the gamma thief and moved onto Chaeyoung’s feat. The hickory-coated delta just blushed lightly at all the compliments and resumed tearing apart her fish. Nayeon warned her several times about separating the bones and stuff. If Chaeyoung was careful enough to catch a fish, she should be careful enough to eat it afterwards. She chewed cautiously, letting her tongue search for any stray bones as she worked her way through the fish. Tzuyu stared intently beside her. Chaeyoung tried to ignore it, mainly because she was too hungry to bother. But Tzuyu possessed a rather scary stare, the intimidating glare type that would concern anyone it was directed towards. And maybe she did not mean anything by it, but Chaeyoung found herself stopping halfway to blink curiously at the younger delta. Tzuyu simply stood up, grabbed her share of the kill with her jaw and moved exceedingly close to the older. Their fur touched and Chaeyoung flinched. She gawked at Tzuyu, completely muddled and worried.

 

“You’re cold. I’m going to help you warm up.” The younger stated nonchalantly.

 

Well, her fur was still a bit damp from the freezing water. It wasn’t anything she couldn’t manage, but Tzuyu was somewhat warming her up effectively. It must’ve been her size and large fur coat. Chaeyoung went back to eating, despite being awfully bothered by the younger’s intentions. She didn’t mean any harm, surely, because Tzuyu was pretty obvious—though unexpected—with everything she does. Small or big, she always meant it. Chaeyoung just couldn’t understand whether or not she liked the younger’s bluntness.

 

Sana was sitting across from them, chatting consecutively with Nayeon and Dahyun. Ever since Momo had been occupied with hunting duties, the omega began branching off to the rest of the pack. It was a weird feeling at first, especially for the bluescale alpha. They’d always been together for the majority of their lives after all. It wasn’t like Sana stopped interacting with her altogether. But this sort of thing—separation to say the least—wasn’t as easy for Momo as it was for Sana. She was still a little stiff at socializing. The alpha only got along with Tzuyu and Jeongyeon most within the pack, and maybe it was just their cool-headed natures that matched.

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

Momo got up even before the sun. Dahyun and the scouting crew usually headed out at the break of dawn, but the alpha wanted to start now. She was anxious and excited at the same time. Her hind legs ached due to the awkward position she was sleeping in yesterday, and the only thing she could do was stretch. She padded over to the entrance of the den, laying herself down on her belly and watched the falling snow. It had been a peaceful couple of days. Perhaps too peaceful to be the day for catching a thief. But they were _definitely_ going to find the gamma because if they didn’t, Momo would certainly take her own time to search. She was keen on catching the wolf that stole from their carcass. Winter hunting was hard as it is, even for the most skilled hunters. If the wolf lingered, she might devour all their prey before they knew it. As leader of the hunters, Momo felt obliged to protect their resources from any threats at all costs. The bluescale alpha was halfway through cleaning her coat when she felt shuffling from behind. Her ears perked and she spun around. Dahyun was stirring just as the first ray of sunlight emerged in the distance. Momo tapped her tail on the stony floor and awaited eagerly.

 

The very first thing the scouts did was scent marking, a task that seemed too tedious for Momo to follow along. That was _their_ duty, not hers, so she decided to sniff around on her own until they were finished. She started at the forest edges near the waterfall and headed eastward. She made note of every suspicious detail, checking around tall white boulders and fallen logs. Momo spread the toes of her paws to reduce the crunching sound of snow under her feet. She needed to be silent. If she was dealing with a thief, she would have to play stealth against stealth. Fifteen minutes into the search, Momo’s toes were soon freezing due to the exposure, and she winced in total discomfort. The alpha wasn’t used to this at all. She never hunted in pure stealth, even in the densest of forests where there was no space for her to run freely. Momo always charged, so fiercely that her prey were left stunned for a brief few seconds before attempting to escape. Seeing Momo in full hostility—with her ears all pulled back, her striking ice blue eyes narrowing, and her knife-like fangs flashing through a deadly snarl—would be very intimidating. The delay was almost always effective because by the time her prey tried to run, they would be immediately knocked down with the alpha at their throats. Momo was a powerful wolf after all, and she never hesitated on using brute strength. She was planning very much on flinging herself in the same way towards their thief, maybe not _as_ aggressively. It gave her an odd satisfaction to know the force she could deliver, but all that would have to be saved for later. She needed to sniff the intruder out first. Patience was much needed now.

 

The scouting team joined her under the late morning sun, a light layer of snow covering their backs and heads. Dahyun was leading as Chaeyoung and Tzuyu tailed behind, shoulders touching and giggling. Momo could tell that Tzuyu was lowering her head to be at the older delta’s height as much as possible.

 

“Did you find anything?” Dahyun greeted the bluescale alpha.

 

“No.” Momo replied rather disappointedly.

 

“Well, let’s start where you left off.” The fawny beta suggested and Momo nodded.

 

The four of them went, tracking, sniffing, listening, and looking. They were approaching the rockfall when Dahyun halted the entire group. Her eyesight was incredibly good even in the forest where everything was just covered in plain snow. The lead scout’s tail curled at the tip, and she stepped forth, dragging the entire group anticipating at her heels. Chaeyoung’s ears twitched, but she couldn’t hear anything. A smell was faintly coming closer to Momo, but it was still too far for her nostrils to properly register it. The wolves simply froze for a few seconds, waiting. Dahyun wouldn’t tell them what made her stop, and they were too busy trying to figure it out themselves to bother asking. A breeze flew by, fanning their focused faces while causing the pines to brush gently against each other. Suddenly, Momo smelled it. She mentally thanked the lucky direction of the wind for giving off the thief’s exact position. Her head turned gradually to where the scent came from, eyes shifting directions rapidly to scan for its source. She suppressed a snarl in her throat, but her back fur rose and her muscles tensed.

 

There, between the trunks of two pine trees, was a glistering pair of amethyst eyes staring back at her. It was undoubtedly the thief, but Momo had a hard time making her body out in the snow. The gamma had a smooth completely tundra white coat, an addition to her overall enigmatic aura. Her eyes caught Momo in a trance, and the alpha only blinked out of it when Dahyun shifted briskly next to her. When she turned back around, the gamma wolf disappeared just as quietly as she had appeared—like a ghost. Of course, Momo began searching frantically around, spinning herself in a circle while darting her eyes in every small opening between the trees. There was a crack from what sounded like crushed pine needles, and Momo snapped her head towards it. The scouting crew, at this point, was too confused to even know what was happening. Yet, the bluescale alpha spotted the purple-eyed phantom again. Momo saw her in between two snow encrusted bushes, eyes still shining despite the sunlight.

 

Before the alpha could even do anything but blink, the tundra thief dashed away again. This time, Momo was quick to race after her. She jumped over the bushes, squeezed past some pines, and bolted after the gamma. Unlike the rest of her body, her tail had a bit of silvery gray at its tip, making it quite easy for Momo to follow. The alpha took big leaps, hoping to gain an advantage, and her own tail whipped around to ease her in turning. She gave tremendous energy into every sprint, but she was too quick to let her exhilaration take total control. Within a few minutes of their little chase, Momo began to feel exhausted. She panted desperate breaths that displayed themselves as large puffs of smoke in the freezing temperature. Behind her, she heard shuffling and muffled voices of the scouting team calling her name. Yet she didn’t stop, not even for a second to think or to reevaluate her situation. She kept on following the tip of the gamma’s tail, turning whenever and wherever it moved like she was being hypnotized.

 

The lack of oxygen soon caught up to her, however. She felt dizzy, staggered in her pace, and even tripped over a small branch. Momo finally stopped in a clearing among the trees where the sunlight shone down hard, illuminating the snow to form a huge bright circle. The alpha stood half hunched over, tongue lolling from the labored breathing. She heard nothing then but the beating of her heart, and that was when she realized her big mistake. Chasing was a different game in the forest than it was outside and in all her excitement, Momo had directed too much energy into it. In the plains, the effort she put into each leg would definitely give her a boost. Yet in the forest, it only wasted her stamina because she had no straight path. The gamma had made sure to lure her into every nook and gap within the trees until she was completely spent from just dodging everything. It was embarrassing yet impressive at the same time, and Momo just stood there wondering what to do next.

 

She was about to turn back and rejoin the scouting crew when a snarl rang in her ears. The alpha was knocked back and before she knew it, a sharp pain stung one of her shoulders. Momo fell onto the cold snow, shocked until she saw a white muzzle and the daunting amethyst optics. In the corner of her eyes, she also saw crimson droplets staining the white snow, but the pain was pushed aside as a sharp instinct overtook Momo. She quickly kicked the gamma’s belly with one of her hind legs. The purple-eyed thief yelped, releasing her shoulder and the alpha took the opportunity to unleash her specialty—strength. With a push from the very same shoulder that the gamma had tried to capture, the intruder toppled and slid across the snowy forest floor as she fell. Momo immediately seized the chance to grasp the back of the white wolf’s neck with her jaw, tackling and holding her still on her belly. The gamma, despite her cunning tactics, was pretty malnourished and didn’t have much force to fight back after that.

 

“Don’t hurt her!” Dahyun’s voice echoed through the trees as the shuffling neared.

 

Momo wasn’t planning to. Her fangs penetrated the gamma’s fur enough to hold her, but not enough to cut through. The alpha had fought a lot of wolves before thanks to her awful previous pack, and she learned mostly how to defend herself from harm, not to harm others. It would only lower her reputation in the pack more—if it could even go any lower—and no matter how angry she was, she learned to be satisfied with just winning the fight alone. Dahyun soon appeared into the clearing with Tzuyu and Chaeyoung behind her.

 

“Let’s bring her back.” The fawny beta said, eyeing both Momo and the gamma thief.

 

“Stay still, understand?” The bluescale alpha growled before releasing her grip.

 

The white wolf got up slowly, shaking her fur calmly despite being surrounded on all sides. She stood fully, chest pointed upright as her amethyst eyes studied the wolves around her. There was something so incredibly elegant and noble about her overall aura. It was strange, but it was obvious. The way she stared at them, her long legs, and even her scent which smelled like fresh lavender despite it being the middle of winter. She was also extremely stunning even with her ribs showing through her fur. Her fur matched the snow which reflected under the light and she literally _sparkled_.

 

“Oh God…” Chaeyoung mumbled when she spotted Momo’s bleeding shoulders.

 

The alpha simply shrugged. She had worse. The gamma thief eyed her meekly, and Momo felt uncomfortable. She already had a strong dislike for this wolf. It was sudden, but everything from the tundra-coated gamma’s strange exquisiteness to the glints in her royal purple optics _irritated_ Momo. It was like a deep sourness in her mouth that she couldn’t understand nor get rid of. Maybe, it was their bad encounter.

 

“Are you...Mina?” Tzuyu suddenly whispered, turning all the wolves’ heads towards her.

 

The gamma widened her eyes, stepping back as she took a hard look at Tzuyu. There was a mixture of confusion and surprise in her complexion.

 

“You were that wolfdog in the big house at the end of the street.” The younger inched forward.

 

Mina withdrew her ears and retreated. “I’m a _wolf_. Do I know you?”

 

Her voice was incredibly soft, but Momo guessed that it was only appropriate for a wolf like her.

 

“You can’t just live in Hesterdale and _not_ know me. I’m the leader of the Snappers. We talked one time outside your porch, remember?”

 

Mina squinted at Tzuyu’s silver ear cuff then nodded. “And you brought me a few sausages, because I was spying on my neighbor for you? The australian shepherd?”

 

“Ahaha, Jae. Yeah, we needed to make sure he kept a promise.” Tzuyu laughed at the memory.

 

“But,” Mina looked at the wolves around her. “Why are you here?”

 

“Why are _you_ here?”

 

“My humans died. The house was on fire, and they just all disappeared. I felt safer in the woods than in the streets.”

 

Tzuyu chuckled. “Yeah, it’s rough these days.”

 

“Five years of leading those... _swines_ …I’m surprised they hadn’t gobbled you up yet.”

 

“They were _about_ to. I was smarter.” The younger smirked.

 

“I could tell.” Mina smiled rather fondly.

 

“Well, this is my new pack.” Tzuyu pointed out around her. “The Rose Feathers.”

 

“Ahh…” The gamma hummed, inspecting around but stopped when she got to Momo. They stared at each other again, just like the first time and the alpha felt that same distaste rushing up her tongue again.

 

“We need to take you to our leader.” Momo stated firmly. Her voice sounded more hoarse than she’d expected and she grimaced. Mina only quirked an eyelid.

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

The little trial hadn’t even started yet, and Momo was already annoyed. She liked to think of herself as a rather relaxed wolf, and maybe it was her injured shoulder that she should’ve blame for her short temper. There was something, she didn’t know what but just _something_ , about Mina that simply ticked her off every time. She scowled at the back of the line when she saw that the gamma was approaching Jihyo with no concerns at all. She walked just as elegantly as ever, one paw gracefully after another without missing a single beat. Her coat did everything from shimmer to dazzle under the full contact of light as she made her way towards the main den. Even when their leader and ambassador—yes, Nayeon was _professionally_ working her dream job at last—offered her to sit down, Mina slid down as smoothly as a feather, tail curled around herself like a big cushion. Watching the entire meeting would only make Momo more tense, so she offered to go to Chaeyoung’s medic den and get the wound patched up. When Momo returned, Jihyo was beaming brightly at her. Mina was too, but the bluescale alpha knew better than to look at her.

 

“Mina is now officially a part of the Rose Feathers.” Jihyo declared.

 

Momo’s eyes narrowed. She tried to swallow the news, hoping it would disappear. They were welcoming a _thief_ into the pack. Even with all her self-control, Momo had to _say_ something at least.

 

“She _stole_ from _our_ carcass.” The bluescale alpha said between gritted teeth. There was a sharpness in her low tone that couldn’t be missed.

 

“She had reasons to as any wolf would in this season. We’ve offered our carcass to a lot of strangers, Momo.” The leader reasoned. Her voice was tender, and it only meant that she noticed the objection vibrating off Momo’s face. “I think she’ll do well as a hunter.”

 

Momo tensed even more at the word.

 

“Would you mind mentoring her for a while? Perhaps until _you_ think she qualifies to hunt with us?” Jihyo smiled.

 

The leader had a nice smile, honestly. It was assuring and a lovely enhancement with her comforting green eyes. Momo never wanted to disobey her. She was an alpha herself, yes. She had her own ambitions and a drive for independence, but she never wanted to ever go against Jihyo. It was weird, yes, but Jihyo was just a tad too undeniable. Momo saw her very wholesome heart from the very start, and she knew she was always the leader who just wanted everyone to get along and be happy. She was never anything like Momo’s old alphas and probably one of the most unique leaders there ever was. It saddened the lead hunter, truly. Yet, the thought of her _teaching_ Mina was almost too much. Momo forced a smile in the end, directing it awkwardly in the gamma’s direction and hoping that Jihyo could be at ease seeing that they were _totally_ going to get along fine.

 

The leader grinned back immediately. “You should show her around the lower valley.”

 

Momo nodded. Mina wagged her tail idly to initiate a friendly impression. Momo didn’t really know how to feel about that, but Jihyo was dragged away by Sana to see something a second later. The atmosphere became stuffy and awkward as the bluescale alpha and the tundra-coated gamma stared at each other. Like hot lava against ice, it always felt intense whenever her purple met blue. Mina suddenly broke the contact and got onto her feet. Momo didn’t know why, but she felt the need to do the same. Then, the gamma approached her in a sophisticated manner that made her breath hitch, and Momo froze as the younger stood next to her.

 

“I’m sure you’ll be a great teacher, Momorin.” Mina simpered at her.

 

“Momo. My name is Momo.” The bluescale alpha growled.

 

Mina withdrew her ears and took a step back. Momo, realizing what she’d done, quickly cleared her throat. She hated this. What was _wrong_ with her? She mentally slapped herself out of the sour attitude.

 

“U-um, follow me.” Momo made sure to soften her voice and flash another stiff smile.

 

Maybe, this was the result of waking up way too early.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SHE'S HERE AT LAST  
> Chapter ten already (not counting the intro), man. This wouldn’t have been done otherwise without yall’s support.  
> The plot is thickening btw~ ;)


	12. Ice

__

Mina was  _ too _ good.

 

She might’ve lack the experience, but she was more than built to endure the daily exertion of a qualified hunter. She was equipped with everything she needed to succeed—adroitness, velocity, solidity. She was more than ready if her life in confinement had not left her a little clueless on how to use her skills. This was exactly where Momo came in. The lead hunter, though still a bit reluctant about even approaching the gamma not to mention training her, did not think much of their first session until Mina displayed her hidden capabilities. Momo took her on a mini tour around the hunting area, a walk that was short in both time and speech. The bluescale alpha had only said what she needed to say about their surroundings, but not much more since Mina was as quiet as a log the entire time. Momo recalled turning around a few times to make sure that the younger was still following her, because even the gamma’s footsteps were silent. Behind her, Mina would blink idly, amethyst eyes glowing and ears perked to point upwards. Momo would soon learn that despite her quietness, the gamma paid keen attention the entire time. Which, of course, came back to the point that Mina wasn’t just a capable student who could easily do well, but that she could, very much, lead an entire hunt when she was ready. She had her own style. Unlike Momo or Tzuyu, it wasn’t the type that relied on an incredible amount of stamina and brute strength. Unlike Jihyo or Jeongyeon, it also wasn’t the type that depended on steadiness and patience either. Mina’s style was entirely peculiar to her alone. It was a mix of everything the other four wolves used, yet unique in the way that only Mina possessed the delicate balance and quickness to toggle between the strategies. Her adroitness accompanied its complexity almost effortlessly. To Momo’s surprise, the younger’s robust skillset did not come with pride. Mina frequently listened and heeded everything the lead hunter advised her. They practiced with sticks, stones, and sometimes real prey. Mina, as expected, excelled in pursuing everything Momo threw at her.

 

It was not surprising that the pack had grown to like Mina in such a short duration of time. It had only been six days since she arrived, but the gamma had earned the affection of nearly all of the pack members.  _ Nearly _ , because Momo  _ still _ hadn’t been able to get used to it. It must be the numbing pain of her healing shoulder—a harsh reminder of their rough first meeting—that made her sour. She was trying, but stubbornness was both a tough pill to swallow and accept. Every morning started with her prowling out of the den, squinting as the morning shimmer hit her eyes. She yawned, stretched, and shook herself all in a span of two minutes. She would not allow herself more time than that, mainly because it would bore her. After that, her paws would move towards the direction of the hunting ground, a second nature it was almost. She could walk this path with her eyes closed. The snow crunched under the pads of her paws, and she tried to focus all her direction on it. There was laughter behind her that she was trying to block out. It had been only three hours after sunrise. Sana was acting like it was the middle of the day. Momo would never know the source the omega’s constant restlessness.

 

“Has Momo been a good teacher?” The alpha’s ears turned unconsciously to the direction of her name.

 

Mina replied, sounding genuine enough. “Yes, very.”

 

“That’s good. She’s a bit stiff, isn’t she?”

 

Mina only laughed softly, and Momo didn’t know what to make of that. She hated it even more that she was actually curious about Mina’s opinion of her. She cursed herself for even caring. Usually, reputation meant as much to her as a rotting dried bone. But this was Mina, the wolf who had been confusing and frustrating her beyond mental necessity. Mina, however, had done  _ literally _ nothing. Then again, Momo didn’t have to think about her  _ this _ much.

 

“Wanna hear a secret?” Sana honey-dipped voice managed to slip into her ears again. “Momo clears her throat when she’s embarrassed.”

 

“Sana.” Momo turned around with a quiet growl.

 

The omega giggled and wheezed. She was leaning excessively against Mina. The gamma didn’t seem to mind, or maybe she did but refused to say anything about it. Mina was very polite after all. Momo didn’t think she had ever seen a wolf with manners before. What even were wolfish manners?

 

“You’re too soft.” Sana nuzzled her cheek into the gamma’s shoulder. The force was hard enough that Mina stumbled a little, still, she didn’t say anything but maintained her perfectly enthralling smile.

 

Sana only detached herself from Mina’s pelt once they reached the lower valley, quickly distracted by the sight of Dahyun coming out of the woods, probably returning from her early patrol. At once, the omega swung around to say a cheery goodbye to the lead hunter and her apprentice before bouncing off in the direction of the fawny fur. Mina smiled after her, showing no annoyance at all. She had adapted for sure and with every morning starting off with Sana clinging onto her shoulder, she must have become immune to it. Mina truly belonged here and even with her subsiding distrust, Momo couldn’t deny that. The bluescale alpha jolted at the sight of purple eyes peering right at her. She cleared her throat, unaware and ashamed that she had been staring at the gamma this whole time. Momo flicked her tail slightly and led them further into the hunting ground. Mina jogged after her, trying hard to conceal the smirk across her muzzle.

 

If Momo was a type of ice, she would be those thick, sharp icicles that hung hazardously on the ceiling of a dark cave. From afar, she really did resemble such icicle. The bluescale alpha was perched on a snowy-layered rock. She sat sturdily with her back straight, and her nose pointed rigidly upwards to perfectly match the analogy. She was also very sharp, both in the actual pointy and alert sense. Her bright blue eyes followed Mina’s every movement, while her ears shifted in all directions to detect any noise that the gamma might make. Momo made sure to pick the most crowded spot in the forest for this type of training. She saw Mina coming closer in between the closely knitted evergreens. The gamma was dodging every rock and tree trunk with all her might, but it wasn’t an easy thing. Even for Mina, the most agile wolf in the pack, this kind of exercise was tiring. Anyone would find this exhausting, really. But it was exactly why Momo brought her here, the environment was perfect to brush up her stamina and endurance. Despite her tundra fur, Mina needed to get used to long chase instead of relying purely on her stealth. All of the obstacles presented here might not be in the open field but if she could run flawlessly while constantly turning on her heels, Mina would be more than ready.

 

Just as expected, the gamma returned with her paws dragging across the snow and tongue lolling out of her jaw. Momo’s complexion was neither sympathetic nor impressed. She doubted that it would matter to the younger who was more concerned about filling her lungs with as much air as possible. Mina raised a heavy paw and lifted herself up the rock. She was drained. Her white coat had a few pine needles sticking out of it, a sign that she’d struggled and probably failed to dodge the obstructing branches a few times. Momo’s gaze remained fixed forward as the younger flopped noisily beside her. The rock was not wide, and it was a little cramped for two wolves. Mina was forced to sit  _ extremely _ close beside her. Momo had to dig her claws into the rock in order to ignore the electricity that sparked when their bodies clashed. Mina was slightly leaning onto her, and her panting was so labored that it almost felt like she was breathing right in Momo’s ears. Then, there was the warm but intense heat that Mina was generating. It was creeping under the alpha’s skin, threatening to break the cold indifference that she tried so hard to maintain. The gamma’s heartbeats also vibrated into her like an echoing bell. Momo sniffed in a hard breath, a last effort to collect her melting icy shards.

 

“Take a few minutes. You’ll be doing another lap.” The older instructed. Her voice was lowering at a volume where her anxiety was safe from exposure. She was tensing up and obviously desperate to retain her stern mentor demeanor.

 

“You make it seems so easy, Momorin.”

 

“It’s not.” Momo cleared her throat uncomfortably. “Don’t call me that.”

 

It was a good thing that the alpha was avoiding eye contact, otherwise, she wouldn’t be very pleased to spot the smug grin on Mina’s face.

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

Dahyun should have known. This was a terrible idea, and she should have never consented to do it in the first place. Discarding the trembling state of her legs and the escalating probability that she would fall flat on her face, the beta scampered across the lake. Her claws scratched so hard on the lake’s surface that she felt like the ice sheet would just tear apart from the abrasion. When she was close enough, she took a hurried leap. Dahyun crashed gently onto the shore with the soft snow embracing every side of her body. She rolled on her back and closed her eyes.

 

“It was just starting to get fun.” Sana’s whine traveled slowly towards her.

 

Dahyun groaned as her eyelids fluttered open. She was met with a pair of warm chestnut irises staring down at her.

 

“It’s not fun if I’m daunted with the fact that I can fall and snap a bone any second.” She retorted with a frown.

 

Sana giggled. “Aww, you can hold onto me if you’d like.”

 

Dahyun wrinkled her forehead. Sana was great and all, but she was the last wolf to be trusted with this sort of thing.

 

“Come on!~” The omega yowled.

 

It wasn’t a good idea. This was  _ never _ a good idea in the first place. After patrol, she should have just gone back to the den instead of allowing Sana to drag her to the frozen lake. She just needed some water but for some reason, the omega managed to lure her into skating across the ice. Sana loved it. Things were just happening too fast and before Dahyun realized what she’d gotten herself into, she was already losing her balance.

 

“Sana…” Dahyun began, a despairing attempt to reason her way out of this.

 

The omega wouldn’t force her. It wasn’t how Sana operated, and Dahyun knew that. She should have also known that the older wouldn’t give in so readily, but it was too late. Sana’s eyes were rounding as a broken whimper escaped her lips. The omega’s ears drooped wistfully down, and Dahyun knew she was doomed.

 

“Alright, let’s go back to the den.” Sana turned around. Never in her life had Dahyun heard the older speak that softly.

 

Sana had always been a flamboyant wolf. Her voice was loud, high pitched, and animated to match her equally expressive persona. She was also an omega, which meant that the natural desire for fun ran strongly within her veins.

 

“Sana…” The beta sighed.

 

Dahyun wasn’t moving. How could she? Even if she wanted to go home, she  _ really _ couldn’t go back and pretend everything was fine. Sana had successfully cornered her with her broken display. This was unfair.

 

“It wouldn’t hurt to try again.” Dahyun mumbled.

 

“No, it’s alright. You’ve been walking around all morning. You need to rest.”

 

This was  _ very _ unfair. “Sana, come on. Teach me.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yes.” Dahyun was honestly a little hesitant but seeing Sana’s face light up at the word made it all worthwhile.

 

The omega stepped onto the ice with surprising grace. She did not look remotely awkward even once. Dahyun blinked dumbfoundedly at her. Their omega, clumsy and often capable of tripping on plain flat surfaces, was skating across the ice like it was the simplest thing in the world. Her legs, stiff and grounded, did not tremble even once. Sana had no problem being adorable a few seconds ago but now Dahyun had to admit, she looked so  _ damn _ attractive. Sana’s lips curved up in her usual dashing smile, and the younger honestly thought she was witnessing something sacred.

 

“Come on.” The omega beckoned.

 

Dahyun’s feet seemed to move on its own accord. She stepped on the ice, feeling her feet wobble again but Sana arrived quicker than her fear. The older was by her side, offering her a feathery soft shoulder to lean on as she skidded away from the bank.

 

“Slowly.” Sana whispered directly in her ears, and Dahyun felt her legs shaking again but it wasn’t because of the ice. “Look ahead.”

 

The beta obeyed. She locked her claws onto the ice and tried to glide forward. It took her a few erratic scrapping of her paws against the slippery surface, but she managed to gain a little more balance. With one paw after the other, she began to slide in a steadier pattern.

 

“You’re doing very well.” Sana assured her in the same low, comforting voice.

 

Dahyun didn’t even know what to make of this. Perhaps, the reason why she was doing so well was because she wasn’t thinking about the ice nor the fear. She was too distracted by Sana, and it amazed her how quickly the omega could occupy her entire mind. It wasn’t just normal Sana that she was concentrated on. It was this Sana—Sana right now, exactly at this moment. This Sana was different. There was something about the way the older held and led her. Sana was providing an overwhelming amount of security, not just physically but in her tone and watchful eyes that never faltered away from Dahyun. This side of their goofy, bubbly omega was unknown to the younger until now. Who could have guessed that Sana’s eyes—originally wide and dense with her robust energy—could narrow so austerely in concentration. Dahyun had been blind to all of this. If there were any doubts she had when she stepped on the lake, well, it was all gone now. They moved across the ice in unison, and Dahyun—completely settled into their rhythm—took the chance to glance up at Sana. The pair of light brown optics sparkled back down at her, glistering in a mixture of pride and something else that Dahyun didn’t quite catch. It didn’t matter. Whatever it was, it was likely very positive and the beta didn’t care as long as Sana continued to look at her in this way. Dahyun was in the spotlight of this calculating, protective, and tender side of the omega. This personality shift had been unexpected, but the beta wished it never disappear. She secretly liked basking under all this attention.

 

Dahyun was clueless of how much she was actually enjoying across the ice, until she lost track of time altogether. The first thing she noticed was that her paws—though had given up their awkward quivering—were starting to numb from the cold. They were a little firm, and she could not feel as much when she guided them to turn towards a certain direction. The second thing she noticed was that Sana was no longer behind her. She was skating all by herself which was a daunting realization, but she still felt the omega’s presence strongly next to her. The last final thing that she noticed was that the other serious side of Sana vanished just as suddenly as it came. Dahyun didn’t know when it was gone or even how long it was gone for, but it was  _ definitely _ gone. The older was her usual self again. The cautious incisiveness in her eyes was now replaced with a playful twinkle—her signature glow, Dahyun would argue. Sana’s tail was wagging excessively, and she skated across the ice ineptly on purpose. It looked exceedingly dangerous for Dahyun, but she supposed from the omega’s happy wheezing that Sana found it very entertaining. She was growing dizzy from just trying to keep up with the older with her eyes. The lake was not huge, but Sana seemed just a bit far away for Dahyun’s liking. After having the omega baby her at every step on the ice, she had confided a little more confidence in Sana than in herself. She was almost certain that she wouldn’t be able to catch herself if she fell. The fear that she might break right through the ice grew. They just got here after all; no one had any idea how deep the water was.

 

Dahyun slowly turned her whole body towards Sana who was swirling around on the other side of the bank. She shifted forward and eventually sped up to warm up her freezing paws with the friction. It was an impulsive move for someone who was struggling thirty minutes ago with her balance. Yet, being uncertain and away from Sana was way worse. It all seemed fine until Dahyun was just a few feet away from Sana. She was gaining confidence with every advance until she felt a bump underneath a paw. Her body jolted forward violently. She stumbled, caught herself, but stumbled again until a familiar shoulder came to her rescue. Dahyun caught her breath and leaned into the fur like her life depended on it. Sana had been shrewd enough to spread her legs, securing them like four steel pillars to support Dahyun’s entire weight. The beta was very thankful for that. Sana’s austere face returned, darkening with concerns as Dahyun’s erratic heartbeats vibrated through her.

 

“Are you ok?” Sana’s deep voice returned.

 

“Yes, thank you.” The beta nodded breathlessly. 

 

A bright shade of color on the ice glistered under the midday’s illumination and seeped into Dahyun’s eyes. She squinted down at the floor. There was a smudgy trail of red liquid that began at the point she tripped and ran to her current position. What she’d tripped on, now that she could see it clearly, was a sharp crack within the ice. It was tainted with the same red, a dark intimidating red that Sana couldn’t take her eyes off of also. The omega seemed to be in a daze. They both had one thought in mind, and it was the possibility of the liquid being blood. Well, Dahyun seemed to have figured it out. A dull stinging pain circulated around Dahyun’s left front paw and she lift it up expectantly. There was indeed a gap within her pad that was drenched with the same red liquid. She saw Sana’s eyes flicker and widen, genuinely concerned but perhaps too stunned to do anything about it. Dahyun slowly lowered her paw, ignoring the omega’s hard stare. Sana stood motionless. Dahyun had a sense that something awful was going to happen. It wouldn’t be about this mere cut that none of them were responsible for. Still, she felt and fretted under this blanket of uncertainty between them that spanned out for way too long.

 

A noisy breeze brushed by their pelts before Sana spoke. “Can you walk?”

 

“Y-yes.” Her voice was a bit shaken up, giving away her inner nervousness.

 

She was a little scared of Sana, maybe less of the wolf and more the things she might do in that solemn mode of hers. The omega pointed her muzzle to the direction of the bank, and Dahyun nodded. She followed silently when Sana escorted her back, feeling even weaker on top of the slippery ice. She was limping slightly, despite the cut not being anything extreme. Surely, she had seen the worst of the wild from all her life of just living in it. The hecticness of her old pack was also nothing friendlier than the wrath of Mother Nature. She used to be Chaeyoung’s steel column and arch after all. And she’d paid the price dearly for it, if not with a few scratches then perhaps with her whole shoulder torn off to the bone. She remembered losing so much blood that she’d passed out cold. But she was blessed, because Chaeyoung had been a studious student of their medic and knew exactly what to do. Dahyun had been lucky that she was cared for immediately. Standing up for Chaeyoung was probably the most radical thing she’d done in that pack.

 

“I’ll carry you.” Sana said, more like demanded but Dahyun couldn’t distinguish her tone anymore under the gruffness of her voice.

 

“No.” The younger instinctively denied. She could walk, really. It would take her a while, but it was honestly  _ just _ a cut. She couldn’t even feel the pain anyways since her feet were so numb from the ice.

 

“No, come on.”

 

“No, I’m fine.”

 

“Dahyun.” Sana narrowed her eyes. It was a command, and Dahyun never thought she would be  _ this _ afraid of an omega.

 

“No, I can literally walk.” The younger shook her head boldly. Her inner beta still persisted, and she refused to let the only advantage she had against Sana turn to dust.

 

For a moment, Dahyun really thought the omega would take more drastic measures like how her eyes—now darkened completely to an umber shade—was promising them. But Sana simply frowned in her usual omega-ish ways. It confused and distracted the younger who titled her head at a slight angle to the right. Dahyun didn’t have time to grasp what happened next nor understand whether the frown was just a trick, because Sana had crawled under her belly before she could blink. Being taller, it was quite easy for Sana to raise Dahyun up from her shoulders. The beta was also light enough that, once secured on her back, the older started walking back to the higher valley immediately. Dahyun—though totally disapproving of this—remained silent the entire hike up the snowy slope. This Sana was different, she’d learned, and should be dealt with more precautions than her normal self. The older had demonstrated this steadfastness to her that would be difficult to rival out of the blue. It was no use arguing with her now. Dahyun was already on her back—her paws were sore so she didn’t really mind—and Sana had set an obvious, direct course to the infirmary. When they neared the small cave, Dahyun felt a jumble words scratching up her throat. They were in Chaeyoung’s domain now and as her good friend, Dahyun really should get a chance to say  _ something _ . Yet, she was muted by the now strangely dominating older omega.

 

“I’m going to stay with you until you’re all patched up.” Sana asserted with too much confidence for Dahyun’s liking.

 

She really  _ really _ didn’t understand and still wasn’t able to utter a single word to assure the omega. She assumed it wouldn’t change anything anyway. Amidst the chaotic tides of her thoughts and feelings, Dahyun couldn’t help being incredibly drawn to this other side of their quirky omega.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m amazed that I actually made two wolves skate  
> It’s been such a drought  
> Thank you for always keeping up with these erratic updates and being incredibly supportive every chapter (I mean it!)  
> I honestly do not deserve :<


	13. By The Snow

“You’ll be fine.” Chaeyoung assured her.

 

“I know.” Dahyun flicked her tail, careful not to move her wounded paw, which was patched by a moss dressing the delta medic had prepared.

 

They had both seen Dahyun in much more dire situations. Countless times the beta had fought, usually against gangs of wolves double her stature, and too many of those times simply for the security of Chaeyoung’s name. She was brave for a small wolf but those reckless fights did leave marks and reminders. The most obvious was to give Chaeyoung a precaution so that the younger could withdraw Dahyun from future situations that might stimulate her irrevocable protective instincts. The other—and frankly the worst of the two—were the many battle scars and wounds that the beta acquired. Although many had long healed under Chaeyoung’s potent care, there was a slight weakness in one of Dahyun’s ankles that became a reminding emblem of her sacrifice. Her legs were assaulted so badly that the depth of her wounds reached the bones. She might have even broken one in the fight. Again, things like these were nothing to the two of them, yet Dahyun knew it was everything to the wolf sitting outside. The panicked omega had stationed herself outside, guarding the medic den intensely after rushing Dahyun there like she was on the verge of death. And maybe she was to Sana, the younger would never understand why. She was only aware that the omega had a natural instinct to care. Sometimes a lot. Sometimes too much.

 

Chaeyoung was still shuffling about the den with a mouthful of herbs, probably reorganizing again. The delta had been busy these days. Even through the scarcity of the winter, their medic was still headed out into the forest, sniffing around for any relevant herbs hiding in hollow logs and whatnot.

 

“We’ll cut some of your patrolling hours if you need.” Chaeyoung suggested, cuffing another bundle of herbs around her jaw.

 

“I’ll be fine.” The older grumbled and sat up.

 

Rather than hurt, her injured paw just felt numb. She tried to shake it a little, assumingly readying it for walking again but it responded poorly to her command. Dahyun accumulated a low growl in the bottom of her throat and unleashed it as she strained herself upward. Her balance was a little wobbly, however, she could at least stand. Sana wouldn’t be glad to see her, especially not on three legs. But a part of her—the better enduring beta part—refused to make herself appear weak.

 

Outside, the dejected omega laid with her head on her paws and tail curling around her legs. It had started to snow softly, and she watched with alertly perked ears as the twinkly crystal flakes fell from above. One managed to fall squarely on her nose and attempting to distract herself from fear, Sana slightly crossed her eyes just to watch the little snowflake glimmer and eventually melt. At its demise, she huffed out a frustrated sigh that masked itself as clear white smoke.   
  
Her ears, submitting to its natural inclination, shifted to better perceive a soft crunching sound it’d discovered nearby. But its owner, with her brain too absorbed in rather excessive misgivings, completely ignored these signals. She flinched only when the soothing, buoyant scent of Dahyun seeped into her nostrils. “Sana?”   
  
The omega shot up as she was caught off guard. Words were clogging up her throat, confusing her in the short seconds that she watched the younger inch closer to meet her. Dahyun was limping.   
  
“It’s just a small cut.” The beta reassured with a smile. Perhaps, she had caught the firm pause in Sana’s breathing. Not that the omega refused to breathe, she just  _ couldn’t _ . “Chaeyoung said I’ll be fine in a few days.”

  
The corners of Dahyun’s lips curved up a little more. Guilt was assembling in Sana’s eyes, but the omega restrained herself to from crumbling under the circumstances. She wouldn’t dare do that now. The fawny beta’s smile was too bright. And falling under its charming spell, Sana wanted the reassurance but knew that her current mental condition would never let her. She was also scrutinizing the dangling paw, already too keen on taking full responsibility for its feeble state.   
  
“I’m sorry.” Sana brokenly croaked out. Even when she collected herself, nothing seemed to be enough.   
  
“It’s not your fault. It’s not even that bad.” Again, another reassurance that she did not deserve. The omega’s ears sunk so low back against her head that it looked like they’d disappeared completely.   
  
Now  _ Dahyun _ was the one panicking. “Seriously!  _ I _ was the one who fell.”   
  
“But I couldn’t catch you. It was  _ my _ idea to continue in the first place when you were getting tired of it.”   
  
“But I had fun!”

  
Sana wouldn’t buy it. The pain was evident on her face and even for a social whiz like Dahyun, the beta had no idea how to fix it. She could only stare at the older, admiring the way snowflakes aligned perfectly on her back. She would look prettier if she didn’t have such a sad look on her face. Sana never deserved to look like that. This was unbearable.

 

“Sana, please.” Dahyun whined and hopped forward on her three legs.   
  
This worked to jolt Sana out of her frozen state, but it only seemed to make her more worried. Before the beta could go on, Sana’s entire neck came to totally smother her face. The older was nuzzling her, hard. The omega was warm enough that Dahyun didn’t complain, although she really wanted to continue explaining herself. She didn’t have much time to prepare—mainly because she never thought Sana cared this much—and she was interrupted again when she tried uttering another word. She felt a stroke of the older’s tongue along her cheek, and it was pretty much game over. From the top of her forehead to her chin, there wasn’t a single place that didn’t receive the brief onslaught of Sana’s kisses. Affection had always been a part of Sana’s nature, but surely Dahyun had reasons to believe that something was different here. She dared not get too ahead of herself, otherwise, she might end up winding down a road she would regret. The possibility of her fatefully diving right on that lane was increasing with every second their breathing intertwined. Sana was almost too much. The omega stepped even closer, neck brushing Dahyun’s own as she breathed next to her ear. Something was out of place. Sana was cold, not freezing but unusual for a wolf with such a warm-hearted demeanor. When Dahyun had leaned on her to skate, it was the older’s gentle, secured warmth that had guided her on. It was so different. And if Dahyun focused hard enough, she could almost feel the omega shivering through her snow-dotted coat. Sana was so fragile and as precarious as it was for her own feelings, Dahyun would not let her break.

  
“Ahem, excuse me?”

  
At the intruding voice, Dahyun flinched on impulse and Sana swiftly removed her head from the beta’s shoulder. Chaeyoung was behind them, blinking nervously as her cheeks stained a deep red. Dahyun soon realized that they had been blocking the entrance of the cave. Courteously, she moved to get out of the medic’s way. But Chaeyoung stood frozen solid for three more seconds before excusing herself away with the last of her remaining coolness. When the medic was far in the snowy distance, Sana snorted a giggle.   
  
“Great, now she’s going to tease me nonstop.” Dahyun growled under her breath.   
  
Sana quirked her tail. “About what?”   
  
The beta was going to explain it to her, in serious honesty, until she spotted the sly subtle smirk that displayed itself on Sana’s lips. “Nothing.”   
  
“Really?” Sana’s tail swayed leisurely.   
  
“Yes.” A sharp glare was shot in the omega’s direction but despite that, it seemed that the suffocating atmosphere between them was lifted. Dahyun was at least thankful for that.

  
“Well, in that case…” And the omega was closing their distance again with gentle steps, this time with less intensity and a more playful intention. “Maybe I should ask Chaeyoung myself.”   
  
“No!” Dahyun barked, pouting under the satisfied laughter of the omega. The younger frowned. “I’m going back to the den.”   
  
Her declaration was made too soon because Sana was already blocking the assumed route with her body. “I’ll escort you.”   
  
“I’ll be fine.”   
  
“No, I want to.”   
  
“It’s not even that far.”   
  
“Let me.” Staring at the unpredictable dangers that were Sana’s eyes, the younger found herself backed into a corner.

  
“Fine.” Dahyun sighed and the omega shot her the brightest grin before positioning herself at the younger’s side.

  
It was no surprise that Sana’s warmth returned as soon as their shoulders collided.   
  


~~~***~~~

  
It must be rare—probably rarer than seeing a blue moon on a midsummer night—that any wolf would witness their leading alpha rolling in the snow below two betas without a single discontentment. Even in play, the superiority of alphas must be obeyed and respected at all costs. Everyone was a subordinate of the alpha and everyone was subjected to never tip them off their feet without expecting a fierce battle. But here in the Noura Valley on a mild wintry day, the leader of the Rose Feathers was a  _ completely _ different breed. It astounded everyone, even the betas that were wrestling her, how relaxed and unbothered she remained after being tackled twice. In fact, she loved it. Their game started when Nayeon and Jeongyeon were both done with their morning duties. They were returning to the main den, trotting side by side as it had been their little trend for the past few days. Jihyo was perching on a rock not too far from the den. She was watching the betas, noticing the not-so-subtle ways they were joined at the hip lately. She personally had nothing against it since it wasn’t interfering their work ethics—although, they had  _ way _ too similar schedules for that to count—and Jihyo was starting to accumulate a prediction that would explain everything, but it was too parlous to expose. She settled on just keeping it inside her head. It wasn’t her place to make any assumptions anyway.

 

It seemed that work hadn’t exhausted the pair yet. Nayeon had already tossed a great deal of snow with one of her paw, causing a surge of white crystals to rise up and splatter directly into Jeongyeon’s face. The older let out a satisfied laugh followed by a sharp, coquettish curl of her tail. Jeongyeon shook the snow off her face and hurled herself at Nayeon’s flank. There was no warning nor a single growl. The older beta had no idea until she was shoved into the coldness of the snow, a jawful of fangs tickling at her side. Nayeon attempted a recovery by kicking Jeongyeon gently on the neck, but the younger had such a thick layer of fur there that it didn’t work. Annoyed, Nayeon resorted to wiggling restlessly on the ground with the hope of losing the jaw lock. After a few joggles, the sandy beige beta managed to easily slide out and back on her feet. Jeongyeon could have easily knocked her back down but that wouldn’t be as fun, so the younger beta circled her in a teasing manner. Nayeon snarled, ducking under and struck at Jeongyeon’s chin. She ended up enclosing the younger beta’s entire muzzle with her jaw, an awkward attack but probably the only one she could get away with. In retaliation, Jeongyeon shook her head but in vain as Nayeon wouldn’t let go of her only chance that easily. They were both thinking hard—one for the sake of freeing herself and the other for a second crafty strike. But time passed idly around them, both were growing increasingly impatient as they struggled around in hope of confusing the other. Jeongyeon’s paws found themselves swatting Nayeon’s cheeks until their awkward back and forth ended up throwing them both off balance. From afar, the inspecting Jihyo cocked her head as the betas wrestled in a nest of scattering snowflakes.

 

Had she been an old, solemn, and stern alpha, she would have risen to her feet with the intention of shutting down the small fuss by utilizing her own strength. But Jihyo’s only leadership experience prior to this was narrow, a secluded family pack with little room for any usage of authority. It was a fairly relaxed life that left her constantly insecure about her performance now. Had she been assuming position correctly? Was she supposed to do this or that? She still had no idea at times. But after seeing the little match between her betas—both wolves being her seniors—Jihyo knew exactly what she wanted to do. She was bored and it was a while since she got to play puppyish games like these. The winter had been stressing them all out. An opportunity to slow down and have fun was almost too good to miss. The “proper” alpha instincts missed her completely as Jihyo leaped down from the rock, tail wagging in excitement rather than up in dominance. She approached the original combatants, tilting her head again at their tangled up positions. Nayeon had finally gained a moment of victory because she was now hovering on top of a very discontent Jeongyeon, her jaw lodged somewhere on the younger’s throat. Jihyo should have been more polite but with the lack of hunting, her built up adrenaline was waiting behind an erupting dam. So the alpha jumped right in, grabbing a chunk of Nayeon’s thigh and pulled. Not very alphaly, but she liked doing it for the thrill. That succeeded in freeing Jeongyeon, but now Jihyo had to deal with the wrath of the older beta. Nayeon sprung at her, expectantly so, snapping her jaw in intimidation as the leader staggered back. There was an odd moment of silence between the wolves as they stood and glanced at each other, a quick pause for the betas to register their alpha’s presence and for the alpha to anticipate the next move. Jeongyeon shifted first, moving in closer to their eldest and Jihyo hoped that she would return the favor until a mischievous smile spread across the younger beta’s face. Their leader barely had time to scurry away before Jeongyeon was charging right at her.

 

It was a bit of a gamble. Jihyo had only been deemed officially as leader some weeks ago. They’d played similar games just never one this rough. Nayeon was even a little hesitant but with Jihyo’s constant wagging tail, she jumped forward to join in. With combined force, the betas managed to tackle their leader onto the ground. They took turns snapping at her side to keep her down, a still aggressive but milder gesture lest they offend her. Jihyo, by no means, was even close to being angry. At one point in their struggle, the alpha managed to squirm her way out of the death trap, immediately taking off to bolt restlessly around the perimeter of the den. Her entire tongue was lolling out as her lips curved up into a big smile. A near-forgotten essence of her puppyhood was coming back to her, everything from that long lost age of exploration, the insightful discoveries, to these delirious games. She had missed it—for some reason even  _ craved _ it—and it all crashed down onto her as she waited in full eagerness for the slower, older wolves to catch up. And only when they were millimeters away from getting her, she leaped up to dash away again. At one point, the betas got lucky and eventually were able to pin their rambunctious leader down. Unfortunately, it became a brief one-timer that they had no chance of achieving again when Jihyo slithered out of their grasp unnoticed. When she started running, they had no choice but to follow. As soon as they got close, she fooled them by taking off again. This timely move was repeated so many times that the betas gave up on the chase. It was no fun for them anymore, plus their legs were sore and could handle the back and forth no longer. Jeongyeon began straying away to a nearby water source, while Nayeon retreated back to the den—or tried to at least. Their eldest had greatly underestimated Jihyo’s energy. She had heard the alpha’s noisy scampering in the snow but didn’t realize that their game was still not over yet. Just as she was inches away from entering the blissful refuge of their warm cave, there was a determined tug at her heels. Nayeon turned around to witness their leader, acting as pesky as a petulant little sibling would, darting forward to grab a hold of her leg. Too tired for any sort of counterattack, Nayeon resumed her route regardless. But despite being a victim to Jihyo’s constant nipping the entire walk inside, the sandy beige beta didn’t think anyone else was more worthy of being their leader.

 

~~~***~~~

 

This was tougher than anything they’d ever done. Not only would it incorporate everything Mina had learned, it would also require Momo to provide her with a reasonable challenge to test that knowledge. The gamma had been working hard. She’d ran every difficult course in the forest selected by Momo, often even in consecutive laps. It was surely a good workout for the city wolf. But that wasn’t to say that Mina wasn’t in perfect shape already when she got here, she just didn’t know much about endurance. Now her muscles were a little larger at the shoulders, a very good sign of her progress but Momo tried her best not to look at them too much. Today was important. The bluescale alpha had no intention of going easy on her student today—or any day to be honest. It would be a weak demonstration of her strength if she hesitated and in all honesty, she had long anticipated an indirect fight with Mina. After all, the little skirmish at their first encounter was rather humiliating on her part. They would start with their first combat simulation, where Mina would challenge her mentor with the goal that she learned from every bad move she might make. Their standoff was simple. They would assume of each other as if they were encountering a hostile outsider. Their goal would be to get the other wolf onto the ground. Beforehand, Momo had put the moral of their lesson in a simple phrase: “Skills are skills but if you have no experience, you’ll still be as when you first got them.”

 

Seven minutes into the session, and the “battle” was at a standstill. Mina had run out of attacks, and Momo wasn’t about to let her off the hook so easily. For the most part, the gamma had been surprising her mentor more than the older could probably handle. There were times that Momo found herself completely confused, not defeated but certainly just as stuck on how to counter whatever Mina was attempting to do. The hardest part was that the younger had a ridiculous sense of balance, something extremely useful for keeping her on her toes at all times. Mina looked light but she could ground herself like a titanium column. Momo had expected to expose her like a fish out of water, to remove her from the safety of the bushes and force her to fight in the plain open where she would be no match for Momo’s fierce intensity. But the alpha had forgotten an important factor, Mina was  _ packed _ with so much more than she had when she first came. This was no petty thief anymore. Momo had morphed her into a warrior, and the mentor should be  _ much _ more cautious than she was now. Mina’s attacks, for the most part, was completely unlike her style. It astounded Momo how daring and belligerent her moves were. She had learned, all right. There were some tactics that Momo even recognized as similar to her own but not completely, because they weren’t as rough. Mina knew her advantage well. She was graceful on four feet and despite the shift in tactics, she was as decisive as ever. Momo had  _ really  _ created a beast.

 

Oddly enough, the only physical contact they’d made since the simulation started was a light brush at the shoulders. The entire duration of their “fight” was spent on intimidation, as neither of them felt bold enough to actually tackle the other down. The main aim of the match had only been to shock the opponent enough that they would falter so a slight push would do the trick. But the battle was going nowhere, not when they both were just resorting to snarling at each other while walking in circles. Momo chose to be the one to break it. She was the mentor after all. If anyone was going to roughen up the fight, it had to be Momo. Quitting her snarl, the bluescale alpha inched closer and snapped her jaw at Mina’s neck. This startled the tundra-coated gamma, but she quickly recovered into a defensive stance. She was careful, her amethyst eyes locked on Momo’s every move. The alpha, knowing that this was the moment her pride depended on, dove down to grab at the younger’s ankle. It was supposed to be a light bite, a warning that Momo would not hesitate to seriously take her down. Mina, however, had other ideas. Before the alpha’s jaw could even come close to her, she swiftly sprang up and clasped the mentor’s neck between her front legs. Momo shook, struggled, and wobbled but there was no doubt that the gamma got her squarely where she least expected. Mina was quick to put her hard-built shoulder muscles to use, flipping the alpha over and letting the shock contribute in knocking her mentor right into the soft snow.

 

Momo, formerly so confident that this wouldn’t break a single sweat, was now laying on her back secured down by warm, soft white fur. They were close enough that she could  _ feel _ Mina’s breathing and see the puffs of smoke that arose from it. The sweet foreign smell of lavender seeped into her nostrils, tingling her sense yet made her angry at the same time. She had, since the start until now, so  _ so  _ greatly underestimated Mina.

 

And perhaps she should’ve felt more guilty and upset than she was now but peering up at the victorious amethyst eyes above, there was something irresistibly enchanting about seeing Mina up close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A late Christmas present  
> Can I just say that The Best Thing I Ever Did mv had such a big Frost vibe? Like they were running around in a snowy winter wonderland and THAT’S LITERALLY FROST???  
> Also, I know I make Momo really cold and harsh but note that she didn’t grow up in the best circumstances. She isn’t the antagonist btw! (there’s rlly none except nature :/) It’s just so interesting, like you wouldn’t see rl Momo fighting idk a bear but Frost Momo? Hell yeah  
> Anyways, I know it’s been a while but I hope this chapter was enjoyable  
> The tol and smol couple is next ;)  
> Thanks for reading <3


	14. Tag and Crushes

Everything felt so familiar.

 

Her nose picked up the smoky fumes of gasoline, fresh meaty sausages from the butcher’s shop, and many piquant scents vibrating from the nearby garbage cans. Her ears, alertly perked, caught strange syllables and vowels from the clamorous human conversations. Her eyes saw the cement sidewalks, towering brick walls of buildings, and the moving figures passing by in the streets. All of her senses were eagerly stirred. Everything was so alive. Tzuyu spread the toes of her paws, reveling in the satisfying hard grip below her feet. She was in the alleyway, which for the late evening, was lively with the frantic barking of dogs and occasional hisses of felines. Ruffling up her fur, Tzuyu boldly strutted inside one of the narrow street ends. There was a good deal of dogs there, snarling and growling at each other as they stood in two adjacent lines. When Tzuyu entered, all eyes were immediately set on her. They must have smelled her beforehand. And oh, she certainly was a fetching sight. She was nothing like any of the dogs around—incredibly well-built and towering on firm long legs. Her nose was long, her ears were pointy, and her eyes glimmered a mysterious mossy green. Most importantly, they took careful notice of her sharp, slick grey coat. She was no mere dog.

 

“New meat, huh?” An old cocker spaniel smirked at her. “You’re here for a challenge?”

 

Tzuyu wasn’t aware, but she nodded along. Many of the dogs, especially the hounds who could sniff the wild blood within her, made way for her in the lines. Glancing around, she noticed that several of them had scarred faces and ripped ears. The veterans and very elite all wore a silver cuff on their ears. All of them must’ve led respective gangs, because it was a symbol of leadership in the city.

 

“What will I win?” She turned to the cocker spaniel. Tzuyu grew up here. She knew how bloody these fights could get, and she wasn’t planning to risk her life without a gain.

 

“Well, you’ll have to challenge and defeat a gang leader first.” He chuckled in a raspy voice. “Then, you’ll win anything, kid. If you can take down a dog, they’ll offer you whatever you ask.”

 

Calmly, she nodded in appreciation. Despite her size, she knew the other dogs in the challenging line were not afraid of her. She was younger than half of them. She didn’t have any cool scars to show off either.

 

Whatever happened next remained a blur. She felt pain, aching from all sides of her body and it made her felt more nauseous than ever. Then, there were so many patches of fur rushing pass her that her eyes couldn’t keep up. And blood, there was red just splattered _everywhere_. There were a few bodies spread out across the ground—some breathing, some were totally still. Those that could make it out alive the death circle were watching in agony on the sideline. Tzuyu stood there, glancing around at the mess before her while shielding herself behind a large mastiff. One by one, more dogs were dropping. The gang leaders were strong. Some had a few scratches from all their challengers, while others had none at all. Tzuyu began to notice that it was partly because they move so fast. They attacked quickly and switched sides with incredible speed. Finally, there was a hard thud beside her as the mastiff fell. Tzuyu stiffened as a gang leader, a buff female malamute standing at around her height, prowled closer with a bloody muzzle. The gang leader’s eyes glowed in ferocity as she jumped and latched herself squarely on Tzuyu’s neck. The wolf could only endure as terrible fangs began to penetrate her thick fur. This wasn’t the first time she’d been attacked. Her mind blanked out upon impact, and the world around seemed to spin in dizzying circles. She really wasn’t going to stand a chance. Her eyes narrowed as she forced them to stay alert, but they faltered the more she was being pushed down at the neck by the malamute. It wasn’t long before her head was inches away from touching the ground. But it was right there, seconds before she lost it all, that Tzuyu astutely realized her luck. She had no idea how her weakening eyes were able to magnify it, but she was glad they did. Across one of the malamute’s legs was a painful, deep lash, a seemingly open wound with blood still leaking out at the edges. Tzuyu didn’t have much time. She gathered the last of her strength to push back against the bite on her neck. Then with one slow step after another, she shifted them both closer towards the wall of the alley. The bricks were rough enough. She needed to do it now. With much effort Tzuyu swung her neck, bringing with her the malamute and managed to knock her unsuspecting opponent against the wall. The wolf felt the bite on her neck loosen and tried for another wall slam. She repeated it until she couldn’t feel her muscles anymore, but eventually, the malamute let go. That was awfully draining for the young challenger. The dog, snarling at the loss of her advantage, dove in for another attack towards the head. A rush of adrenaline flooded her blood just in time for Tzuyu to dodge the attack successfully. Now, the only thing that was fueling her was the drive to live. Her survival instincts were crashing in. There was only one chance she could get out of this, and she wasn’t going to waste it now. The wolf crouched, darted forth, and locked her jaw on the malamute’s leg wound. The dog collapsed under the abrupt assault, yelping but still very much baring her fangs in rage. Tzuyu let go of the wound and took her chances to strike at the soft white fur under the malamute’s chin. The dog’s windpipe was severed within less than five seconds. Tzuyu’s legs were shaking when she lifted her head up. She looked around, realizing that all other fighting had ceased and she was the only one standing in the combat circle. The dogs, both watchers and survivors, were blinking rapidly in her direction.

 

“Well, a leader managed to fall after all.” The cocker spaniel licked his lips. “What do you want kid?”

 

“The gang.” Tzuyu growled lowly. She was near fainting but the bloody taste of victory felt too good on her tongue.

 

“What?”

 

“Her gang.” The young wolf asserted louder.

 

**~~~***~~~**

 

“Tzuyu?” A voice seemed to call for her, but it was so far away that she couldn’t make out its exact location.

 

“Tzuyu.” It was echoing closer.

 

“Tzuyu!” Suddenly, light flashed into her eyes and the gray-coated delta jolted awake. Chaeyoung was staring down at her, frowning slightly at the corners of her lips.

 

“Hm?” Tzuyu yawned, taking a moment to stretch.

 

Chaeyoung was sitting with some leaves and a rock in front of her. “You were growling and swinging your legs everywhere.”

 

“Oh.” The younger laughed lightly. “Was I?”

 

“A bad dream?”

 

“Not necessarily. Just, um, a little intense.”

 

“You were hunting or something? I mean, you just got back from a session an hour ago.”

 

“A notch more intense. I was fighting with some dog, I think.”

 

“Wow. Can’t even catch a breath even in your sleep, huh?”

 

“Yep.”

 

Chaeyoung turned a few of the leaves with her paw, keenly studying their appearances and shapes. “I just found these the other day.”

 

“In the forest?”

 

“Yep. I’ve never seen them before, but I remember being taught about what they’re used for.”

 

“You’re really cool, Chaeyoung.” Tzuyu murmured. The medic looked at her weirdly, obviously not believing nor agreeing to what she’d just said. “I’m serious.”

 

“Whatever.” The older shrugged.

 

Tzuyu idly swung around and cleaned herself. That little nap didn’t help one bit. Her muscles still felt like loose gel and her paw pads were awfully sore. A few hours before, Momo had howled to her from somewhere in the lower valley, requesting her to come down for a little skirmish. When the younger got down, the lead hunter seemed to be struggling with a snow hare. Momo apologized for calling her down so late. Hunting usually ceased in the evening, unless the pack really needed the meat. The alpha had explained that she needed her to provide a distraction. The rabbit had proven to be more clever than Momo had expected. It had all sorts of places to hide, whether that was behind rocks, under burrows, or simply just blending in with the snow. Being the very helpful, agreeable wolf that she was, Tzuyu obviously took up the challenge. But even for a skillful tag team like theirs, the job wasn’t necessarily easy. The problem that the hunters quickly discerned was the amount of tunnels this hare had. It was kind of ridiculous. The quarry would dive into one mid chase and even when the wolves drove it out of that one, it would continue to sink into another a few feet away. This was not only time consuming but also very confusing. The hunters eventually settled down to first catch their breaths, then discuss a new plan. But they weren’t even done with the first objective when they both heard a sharp squeal in the distance. And what they found looking ahead was incredibly mortifying, the hare was dead and dangling in the jaw of a fox. Momo snarled so hard, Tzuyu really thought she really was going to lose it. Perhaps the younger wasn’t wrong, because the lead hunter jumped immediately on all fours and bolted for the smaller tundra-coated canine. Tzuyu sat still, a little unsure of whether she should be going after the alpha or just stay put. She decisively chose the latter. Momo, dashing in full rage, closed the gap between her and the luckier fox within less than a minute. The smaller canine was a little too fulfilled with its catch to notice the terror behind it. Momo was able to close in fast. The fox attempted to flee when it smelled her, but the lead hunter had created enough shock to make her move effortlessly. Interestingly enough, she dove for the kill in the fox’s mouth instead of the fox itself. Snatching the dangling hare away, Momo growled a stern warning at the fox who had stopped dead in its track. It gazed at her, utterly perplexed but didn’t dare to protest and quickly quivered away into the coverage of the woods. Tzuyu didn’t bother to say anything when the alpha came back.

 

The sun was getting ready to set outside. Warm reddish-golden light trickled inside the medic den, highlighting Chaeyoung’s concentrated face as she observed another set of plant samples. Tzuyu was lying languidly on her side, tail softly tapping the stony floor as her eyes fixed themselves on the older delta. Chaeyoung reached down to grab the stone with her mouth, then consecutively slammed it onto the leaves. She managed to grind them down into small bits before lowering her nose for a quick sniff. The smell was a little sharp, and so the medic scrunched up her nose in the cutest manner Tzuyu had ever seen. The younger delta chuckled.

 

Chaeyoung’s ears twitched, and Tzuyu was soon rebuked by a pair of disapproving gray eyes. “It’s getting dark, you know.”

 

“I know.” The hunter hummed.

 

“You should get back to the den. Isn’t the floor a little too rough?”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

“It gets really cold in here at dusk.”

 

“But you’ll be in here.”

 

“I’ll head back in like two hours.”

 

“I won’t sleep as soundly over there if you’re in here.”

 

Chaeyoung shot her another questionable look. “Yes you can.”

 

“Nooo...” Tzuyu whined, a smile creeping out at the corners of her lips.

 

The medic shook her head. “What even is that logic?”

 

Tzuyu shrugged, not budging and resumed to watch Chaeyoung crush more herbs. But her stare seemed to bother the older more than before, the medic’s face glowing with a reddish tint as she tried not to lose focus. Pretty soon, the attention was becoming a little unbearable.

 

“Why are you even here?” Chaeyoung tilted her head at the younger. “There’s nothing interesting.”

 

“You’re interesting.” A smirk finally revealed itself on Tzuyu’s face.

 

“I’m literally crushing plants with a rock.”

 

“Interesting.”

 

“Oh, come on.” The medic rolled her eyes. Yet a few seconds later, both wolves were laughing at themselves and each other. There was a feeling floating around the cavern, a kind of spell that was encircling around them both.

 

“Why are you so eager to kick me out?” Tzuyu faked a pout, ears slowly drawn back.

 

“Because…” Chaeyoung didn’t look at her but appeared to be searching for the right words through her pile of mashed up leaves. “You deserve a good rest.”

 

“I can rest here just fine.”

 

The older glanced at her, endearingly even through her masked annoyance. “You’re so _strange_.”

 

“Well, love makes you crazy, doesn’t it?” Tzuyu could barely catch herself before the words slipped. Damn. She had always been a rather straightforward wolf who wasn’t afraid of speaking her mind, but maybe this was a little _too_ much conspicuity.

 

“What?” Chaeyoung snapped her head back, eyes widened. Her expression clearly showed that she’d heard every word.

 

“Nothing.” Tzuyu smiled it off and swept her tail leisurely across the floor.

 

“What are you _saying_ all of a sudden?” The medic was blushing so hard that the younger could almost feel the heat vibrating off her cheeks. “You should _really_ head back.”

 

Tzuyu simply giggled. Chaeyoung was absolutely _adorable_.

**~~~***~~~**

 

“Sana…” Dahyun sighed but at this point, it was kind of pointless.

 

“Is this good enough?” Sana asked for the fifth time. Her entire body was literally _constricting_ around Dahyun’s.

 

“Sana, I’m fine really.” The younger pleaded. “I don’t think my entire body heat would be affected by a single cut on my paw.”

 

“Are you sure?” Sana’s eyes were roundening, an _exceedingly_ dangerous sight.

 

“Yes, really.”

 

Reluctantly but compliantly, Sana relaxed around the beta’s body. The omega had been following her everywhere. Dahyun’s wound was almost completely healed but it was no use arguing against Sana. The beta also didn’t really mind because aside from being able to tolerate it, she had grown to find it quite enjoyable. She was naturally fond of getting attention—though, she would never have the guts to admit it—but getting Sana’s attention was a completely different kind of bliss. Unsurprisingly, the omega was a wonderful listener and a charming banterer. She had unique mannerisms that were not easily noticeable but effective in making others ease up around her. Sana’s company was soothing in the best therapeutic sense. Her eyes, warm and tender in their earthy chestnut shade, would twinkle with an essence powerful enough to hypnotize the most composed wolf. Ever since she got hurt, Dahyun would get up in the morning, feeling the omega stir next to her and receive the most refreshing smile to start off the day. Sana would then follow her in the morning patrol around their borders, cheerful and enthusiastic as usual despite not being used to getting up so early. Whenever she could, Dahyun would even take a different route on purpose just for the sake of showing Sana a few spectacles in their wintry woodland. The beta would take her to a small clearing where mesmerizing patches of blue orchids peeked out from the snowy ground, defying the cruel temperature. Then, somewhere along the way, Sana would always manage to find a fallen log. If it was hollowed out, the omega would try to squeeze herself inside of it no matter how impossible. This was so spontaneous that Dahyun never had the chance to remind the older about the possibility of her getting stuck. Sana would always be a step ahead and sometimes if she could fit her entire body inside, the two would play a brief game of hide and seek. From what the beta had gathered, Sana’s constant wagging tail always gave her away in an instant. Dahyun’s afternoon hours were cut so she would have nothing to do except laze around with the omega. And even in a leisurely activity such as that, there was never a dull moment with Sana.

 

Outside the den, a gamma laid deep in thought as she watched her packmates enter their third round of tag. Without her nose and purple eyes, she might as well be identical to any normal mound of snow. Ever since she’d beaten Momo in that simulation, the mentor had offered her a few days of rest. At first, Mina had thought nothing more of it than a reward for her victory. But when she saw Momo clear her throat awkwardly after the congratulations, the gamma had a hunch that her mentor needed the break more than she did. Not training for a while would be weird. For an introvert like herself, Mina didn’t really know how to spend her days.

 

The valley was warmer today, and the heat made Mina yawn drowsily. She crossed her front legs, deciding whether or not to take yet another nap. In front of her, a vigorous assault between Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung was unfolding as the other wolves circled around them. Mina, being the reserved creature that she was, preferred to hold her peace and not join in the chaos. But she couldn’t escape the hectic commotion for long because as soon as that round ended, the break in between became another kind of competition. Nayeon and Jeongyeon approached her calmly at first, and Mina had swayed her tail at them until they started pushing each other halfway there. It was odd to the gamma, who slightly cocked her head at the feuding pair, because the two were usually so happy around each other. Now they were baring fangs, snarling threateningly while trying to block the other’s path towards a very confused gamma.

 

Jeongyeon succeeded due to her height shielding Mina against the other beta. She grinned as if nothing had happened at all. “Mina. Do you want t—”

 

But their eldest had other ideas, the younger beta could barely finish when Nayeon crawled under her legs and popped her head out from the other side. “Join _my_ team!”

 

Jeongyeon tried to stop her, but the older had already slid out in front. Mina, visibly composed but honestly a little amused by their antics, swept her tail in anticipation. Maybe she should save that nap for some time later.

 

“If you join Nayeon you will lose.” Jeongyeon warned her in a whisper.

 

“Jeongyeon already has Tzuyu on her team! It’s very unfair.” Nayeon retorted.

 

“Well, you have Chaeyoung and she isn’t very weak either. Plus, Tzuyu never comes for her and _that’s_ not fair.”

 

“You’re just saying that, because you’re too _feeble_ to beat Chaeng on your own.”

 

“Tzuyu could topple you in a second!”

 

“Yeah, _obviously_ because she’s huge!”

 

The endless snapping returned, and both wolves quickly forgot the real reason they came to bother Mina. The gamma took this time to glance around, observing the other players who were, interestingly enough, totally in their own worlds. Chaeyoung was drawing something in the ground with her nose, while Tzuyu intensely watched every move like her life depended on it. Well, _they_ obviously didn’t care. Across from them, Jihyo was bouncing around disappearing in the snow every once in a while. When Mina looked close enough, it seemed like the leader was digging something up. The gamma, intrigued by the leader’s enthusiasm, rose to her feet and crept past the arguing betas. She padded down to where Jihyo was, even more curious when she saw the alpha take up something in her mouth. To Mina’s oblivion, the beta pair was determined and at her sudden disappearance, they immediately broke glares to raced after her.

 

“So, Mina.” Nayeon breathed heavily when she caught up. “Do you want to join in or...?”

 

Mina looked at the sandy beige beta, then at Jeongyeon, then finally at Jihyo. The decision just came naturally to her. “I’ll join Jihyo’s team.”

 

“Oh.” Jeongyeon blinked.

 

“Jihyo’s?” Nayeon stared at the alpha.

 

The leader was digging furiously under the snow—her rear and kicking feet the only thing exposed to their eyes. Somehow, she managed to hear her name loud enough to remove herself from her work. She inched out of the ditch, a thick layer of snow sliding off her back as she swung around to face them.

 

“Hurh?” She looked at them with a clump of snow in her mouth.

 

“I want to be in your team.” Mina wagged her tail.

 

“My team?” Jihyo tossed the snow to the side. She didn’t look like she understood.

 

“As in the next round.” Nayeon stepped in to explain.

 

“Ohh.” The leader nodded and her face lit up in a delighted smile. “Why thank you, Mina.”

 

“What are you doing?” Jeongyeon pointed her muzzle at the dark opening behind Jihyo.

 

“This? Watch.” The alpha instructed excitedly.

 

The three wolves watched as their alpha crawled inside the vent and disappeared underneath the snow. For some reason, she didn’t appear until at least a whole minute later as a head popped out of the ground about several yards away from them. Their leader had her jaw hung open and was panting in a proud grin. She apparently said something, but it died out over the distance before any of them could hear it.

 

“What?!” Jeongyeon yelled.

 

“Isn’t that cool?!” Jihyo shouted back.

 

“Yes, now come back!”

 

The alpha nodded before ducking back into the tunnel. Nayeon shared a giggle with the other two. “ _Why_ did she do this?”

 

“How did she do it?” Jeongyeon corrected her.

 

When their leader came back to begin the next round, Mina found her newly formed partner just as reliable as she was entertaining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year’s eve :]  
> I love the concept of Jihyo being a questionable leader  
> Like everyone respects her but sometime she does weird things and then everyone’s like ???  
> And she’s super annoying around 2yeon bc she is 3mix’s BABY  
> Anyway, believe it or not, Frost is coming to an end  
> I don’t know exactly when but probably at chapter 20 or around there  
> This series had gone so so far, and I thank you for letting me take you through this adorable journey  
> I hope you all have a wonderful and promising start to 2019


	15. Falling

Chaeyoung was unlike anything under the morning’s twinkling lights.  
  
It was a few hours past dawn, a couple minutes succeeding the end of their morning patrol, and the matter of a new day was just beginning to click in Tzuyu’s head. Dahyun had left a while ago, escorted by an overly exuberant omega that couldn’t stop yapping about some strange rocks she’d discovered at the river’s shore. When the two were well on their way, Tzuyu heard Chaeyoung snicker and mumble something about blatant lovebirds. The younger forced out a short laugh as the atmosphere shimmered down into a soothing silence that blanketed them both. Chaeyoung pointed her muzzle up to the sky, smoky gray eyes softening in contentment with whatever had caught her attention from above. Tzuyu found herself locked into the older’s face, very conspicuously staring, although Chaeyoung was distracted enough not to notice. Tzuyu cocked her head curiously when a small but bright smile began to emerge from the corners of the medic’s lips.  
  
“Look, there's one that looks like you.” Chaeyoung almost whispered.  
  
Tzuyu raised her own head, peering up at the huddles of cotton candy clouds in the hidden white sky. The younger frowned disappointedly when she couldn’t make out what Chaeyoung had seen. Every cluster looked the same to her—ordinary in their puffy formation with the exception of a few thinly stretched outcasts. Tzuyu gave up pretty quickly, lowering her gaze defeatedly when she could no longer target her supposed cloud version.  
  
But Chaeyoung had been watching her, eyes shining insistently when she patted a paw to a snowy spot next to her. "Come closer."  
  
A beckoning gesture, one that lifted Tzuyu on her feet in the span of one millisecond. The younger plopped down stiffly, ridiculously charmed by the presence of the pondering medic whose wandering eyes returned pointing upward at the scenic sky. Chaeyoung possessed an intense curiosity that she’d never seen before—the kind that seemingly belonged to a mature child, naïve and creative yet capable of possessing a rather extensive comprehension. The natural world had never been of any interest to Tzuyu. The younger knew her place, understood her small existing purpose in the vast encompassing universe around her, and never truly questioned anything else that went on. Half of it was because she didn’t have the energy to bother, the other half being that she never had the time. She’d grown up in the capricious hub of danger, a place so erratic and bustling with activities that halting time to smell the roses seemed suicidal. Everything became a potential threat—a parked car, a one-eyed feline, a flock of young humans, even an inanimate object such as a metal waste bin. The tall containers, Tzuyu had remembered, held an abundance of food but were also infested with raccoons and red-eyed rodents. Especially being the leader of a rugged dog gang at such a young age, she had been challenged by literally everyone on the block. Older canines denied her success for a matter of pure luck and chastised her inexperience brutally until she was no more chief than runt. Every waking moment of her day was some sort of test. She could boast that she’d made it and survived with all her limbs intact, but she could never properly say that she’d _lived_ . But now with Chaeyoung, sitting idly shoulder-to-shoulder and glancing up at the possibly brightest sky they’d seen all season, she was granted a sour, fulfilling taste of _living_ . Tzuyu, although subtly, was starting to gain an awareness of the medic's life. The peacefulness of it made the younger delta realized that she liked it. She liked it very very much.  
  
“Look there.” Came Chaeyoung’s voice, soft in many degrees even in its most commanding form.  
  
Tzuyu glanced up, spotting the slowly drifting clouds again while attempting to follow the older’s eyes. She searched and searched, but her mind could not identify anything among the white puffs that would remotely look like her.  
  
“Do you see it?” She felt the medic’s eyes on the side of her face as hers were still determinedly fixed above.  
  
“No.” Tzuyu huffed dejectedly.  
  
“Well, that’s alright. It passed. We can find another one together.”  
  
“Another one?”  
  
“Yeah, like another animal or something.”  
  
Tzuyu turned her head to be blinded by the most refreshing smile in all 4.5 billion years of Earth’s history. “Sure.”  
  
And Chaeyoung kept the smile, the small mole slightly below her muzzle stretching. “Can you see that bloated one over there?”  
  
Indeed, a very strange adjective to describe a cloud but Tzuyu complied nonetheless. “I can.”  
  
“That’s the body.”  
  
“Body?”  
  
“Yep.”  
  
“Of?”  
  
“The rabbit. Its ears are above.”  
  
Two extending clouds peeked out from the “bloated” one, and Tzuyu tilted her head to better angle the image. It wasn’t bad. The rabbit was a bit deformed on its left side, but she decided to take Chaeyoung’s word for it.  
  
“Lovely, isn’t it?” The medic looked at her.  
  
“It’s making me hungry.” The younger licked her chops.  
  
“Tzuyu!”  
  
“I’m kidding. It’s lovely.”  
  
Chaeyoung huffed, pulling her lips downward in a dramatic frown but lifting it after a few seconds to flash the younger a small smile.  
  
_‘It’s lovely,’_ Tzuyu silently thought to herself. _‘But you are much lovelier.’_  


**~~~***~~~**

  
She wasn’t even sure why or how long she’d been following the older. She certainly didn’t remember asking permission, though Chaeyoung hadn’t shown any signs of caring at all. Tzuyu only recalled sitting there fretfully when the medic announced that she was going to go gathering again, torn between extending the good company and giving Chaeyoung some space so she wouldn’t seem like a creep. Tzuyu had been interfering with her time a lot. She’d been sleeping over at the medic’s den on late evenings to escape the frost and the day’s weariness. She dug snow shelters on days when the heavy snowfall seemed endless for the two of them to crawl in. It was much more enjoyable to curl up next to Chaeyoung, watching the steady precipitation rather than doing anything else. Come to think of it, she probably had been aligning herself in Chaeyoung’s life way longer than she’d remembered. But it all boiled down to this attraction, this magnetism she had with the older that left her bored and aimless whenever she was not by Chaeyoung’s side. She didn’t know how to describe it, because the feeling of being attracted to the hickory-coated delta was just so _different_ . Tzuyu couldn’t exactly pinpoint specific traits since that would be a crime as the older was so many good things in a neat, small package. Chaeyoung was like a treasure box full of goodies that had been hidden away too long for safekeeping.  
  
Already, before they had even embarked in another outing to gather whatever Chaeyoung felt necessary for the further development of her medic den, Tzuyu had been too dreadfully distracted by the older to even pay attention anymore. Of course, in courtesy of just engaging in the environment, she wasn’t completely unaware, just very _very_ distracted. Prior to growing conscious of this, she had caught herself in a guilty silence when the smaller delta inquired vaguely in a delicate tone about one of their morning patrols. Tzuyu had mentally shunned herself there, blinking excessively to dig her own grave and displaying obvious inattentiveness.  
  
"I don't really remember." Was all that Tzuyu managed to muster out in a brief panic.  
  
Chaeyoung hummed, seemingly not bothered by the delay of the younger's response, and strutted on with her eyes elsewhere. Tzuyu followed, scolding herself to be more alert this time.  
  
"It's alright, you know." The medic mumbled.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"It's alright. You don't _have_ to follow me."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"Yes." The answer was affirming and as always, Chaeyoung's expression was inscrutable.  
  
Fascination was the world through Chaeyoung’s eyes. Nothing could falter her quizzical gaze when she sniffed the ground for a fresh scent, not even a rushing beetle who’d come out of hibernation prematurely beneath the snow blanket. The medic had patiently stopped for it—not growling and jumping back defensively as Tzuyu did—courteously waiting for it to fly back into its underground dwelling before moving on. Never once did she glance back at the younger to show off a smirk, which would bestow the intention of teasing Tzuyu’s fright or congratulating herself for being such a brave venturer. She simply moved on, knowingly and calmly under the sudden heat of the midday sun, as if her behavior belonged to a routine of the ordinary. Then, it was time for Tzuyu to unfold some of her own curiosities. They were mostly about Chaeyoung, about the things the medic had seen, about what she wanted to see, and about a strange easiness that she inflicted on the younger without knowing it. Tzuyu kept these questions in her head, of course, because spilling it would be disruptive to Chaeyoung's leisurely mood. She preferred better to tag along, tailing alongside the medic’s rear and letting the older carry her through this forest with secrets Chaeyoung knew by heart. It wasn’t like Tzuyu had never been deep in the grove—her patrols required her to scale every part of their valley—but padding through it with Chaeyoung seemed to enhance all her senses to the maximum.  
  
Before long, their gathering adventure came to an end—Chaeyoung appearing from a fallen log with a mouthful of brown and green roots and herbs. Tzuyu didn't need to ask whether if that was enough or not because she would never care if the medic decided to stay in the grove until midnight. Undoubtedly and surely, the younger would still accompany her in a heartbeat. The sun was piercing through the nest of evergreens from above with enough light that signaled the late noon. Compared to all their past walks, this wasn't unusual in the least.  
  
"Tzuyu." The sound of her name, especially when it came out of Chaeyoung's mouth, snapped her attention back among the trees, sitting on a cool boulder facing the slow breeze.  
  
The first and most obvious thing she noticed was that the bundle of plants was no longer in the older's jaw. Taking its place instead was a blue flower, half covered with snow while the other revealed a dull brownness of its stem. Chaeyoung stepped closer to her, and she got the sense that the flower was meant for her but sat tight to anticipate. Gentle and with surprisingly great precision, the older elevated herself on tippy toes to tuck the flower between Tzuyu's left ear. A fond grin vibrated off her face when she lowered, the depths of her dimples deepened within her cheeks. The warmth in Tzuyu's chest was too overwhelming that it blocked any gracious words that attempted to crawl up her throat. Muted and red with shock, the younger only pulled back her ears to show some sign of gratitude.  
  
"You look very pretty." Chaeyoung complimented.  
  
Tzuyu could have used the opportunity to express some sort of a thank you but overwhelmed with the heat around her face and the drumming of her heart, she settled instinctively for a lighter witticism. "I know, you won't stop staring at me."  
  
That and a roll of her eyes was all it took to transfer the blush on her cheeks to the medic's. Chaeyoung groaned, snatching up the previous pile of herbs before stomping away in the direction of her work den. "I was trying to be nice."  
  
"I'll take half if you want." Tzuyu offered, catching up with the older in a few easy strides of her long legs.  
  
"Don't need." Chaeyoung shook her head, lifting her chin and tail up high in a coquettish manner.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Why don't you look at me?"  
  
"Don't wanna."  
  
"Really? Was I just a pretty face for one minute?"  
  
"No!" The sharp protest nearly washed Tzuyu's teasing front off, but she caught herself soon enough to continue.  
  
"It's alright. If I'm ugly, you can tell me truthfully."  
  
"You aren't and you know that!"  
  
The younger couldn't help but smirk at the medic's struggle, talking with a mouthful of leaves while being so exceedingly _adorable_ about it. "Then am I pretty?"  
  
Chaeyoung nodded but it did not satisfy Tzuyu. She probed again. "Really?"  
  
The medic knew she was losing it, however, she could not bring herself to deny that Tzuyu was not pretty. If she was going to go down, she might as well do so with honesty. "Yes, yes you are."  
  
Luckily, her sincerity reached the younger, who softened remarkably under the tender truth flowing out of every word. Finally content, Tzuyu let her off the hook for the rest of their trail out of the grove.

  
**~~~***~~~**

  
"Careful." Chaeyoung had warned her, and she knew she should have listened the moment her front legs were placed above the ice.  
  
In a fleeting moment, filled by confidence and a desire to impress, Tzuyu threw everything out the window. It never crossed her mind once that the temperature had been warmer, and that Chaeyoung must have spotted a change within the lake to have said anything at all. She had been rash, acting by her own conceited judgment to discard all the precautions completely. That was bad but new. A wolf like her—a former dog gang leader who knew the risk of letting her guard down all too well—had allowed herself to be reckless for the first time since her puppyhood. Naturally, she did not mind because it was Chaeyoung that made her felt relaxed, but nonetheless, there was an odd feeling that generated from slightly letting loose. But again, she'd chose to discard it. A bad choice in a very bad time, which she realized soon but not fast enough to save her from the disaster that was unfolding quicker than imagined. Before the hunter figured out that she was not in the safest of positions, before Chaeyoung could give her a harsher warning, and before any of them could do anything about it—the ice sheet below Tzuyu's feet collapsed.  
  
She saw a reflection of the sky above them when she sank down. All she ever wanted to do was crack a small hole in the ice so that Chaeyoung could take a drink. She'd offered to do the honor because it was a nice compensation for her teasing the older all the way here. But right at the moment when Chaeyoung could actually rely on her to do something considerate, she forgot that the ice sheet had melted enough to refuse her weight. She didn't think—she just did it. And what she'd done was the worst thing possible, placing half of her whole weight onto the thin ice when the force from one of her paws could have been enough for it to break.  
  
So in she went, floundering aimlessly in the freezing water and kicking her feet in an effort to float upward. An endeavor easier thought of than done, Tzuyu only descended deeper down the lake. It was getting increasingly dark—the only light that shone through came from the hole that she'd shattered. She wanted to work her legs but they would not move, rigid from the coldness wrapping all around her. What had started as a simple accident that precipitated from her carelessness had quickly escalated to a life-threatening situation. Her vision was starting to blur as her eyes stung from the water. She tried to pull herself towards the light-filled opening, but her coat—although partly water-proof—was getting heavier as the water penetrated to her skin. Then, she felt completely breathless. Her body pushed for her to breathe, yet she would not allow it for the threat of cold water filling up her lungs. Things were getting desperate. She paddled with whatever control she had left in her legs, unsure of whether or not they actually obeyed her, or whether or not they were making any progress at all. Tzuyu felt herself dizzying, not that it made any difference since she was already distorted anyway, and gathered all that was left of her focus to the opening above. The single source of light trickling into a pool of cold darkness. Her hope, her holy grail, her—  
  
She didn't know if she should trust her eyes anymore, but she suddenly could not see the bright light. Something was blocking the hole, or at least that was what she assumed before closing her eyes for good. There was no point. She relaxed the muscles constricting her windpipe, submitting herself to the floodgate of coldness as an act of finality.  
  
And yet, even her death was interrupted. Something strong and firm managed to drag her all the way back up to the surface. She remained clueless of everything until she caught the relief of air again with a gasp. She wasn’t aware of how much she was coughing, nor had any idea what strange force was hauling her onto dry ground before her chest ceased its heaving. First came the wondrous whiff of fresh air, then came the sight of an equally drenched Chaeyoung breathing right next to her. Tzuyu’s brain felt numb and half-dead, but it didn’t take a genius to arrange the puzzle pieces and deduct what had happened in the last few minutes.  
  
She hadn’t listened, she fell, she nearly drowned, Chaeyoung dove down, Chaeyoung pulled her up, and Chaeyoung saved her.  
  
Chaeyoung managed to save her.  
  
Tzuyu blinked, soaked and freezing to her bones but not entirely because there was a meek smile appearing on the corners of Chaeyoung’s lips. So, calmly and rather carelessly, they both allowed themselves to laugh. They had plenty of reasons to be worried but all of that—all second thoughts of potentially getting hypothermia right then and there—was thrown away under the ice sheet that they’d just risen from. They were both shivering to the marrow, no doubt, but it was the act of sitting there, staring awkwardly at each other and shivering to death that lifted their spirits in a quite mortifying way. Soon enough, someone managed to spot them out, an urgent howl in the distance reporting to the rest of the pack that some potentially perilous predicament had happened. Even when she couldn’t hear anything, ears clogged and frozen with icy water, Tzuyu identified that it was Jeongyeon’s voice. Chaeyoung must have heard it too because she stopped laughing, eyes narrowing as she forced herself on her paws. The younger followed although it did spark a slight disappointment in her. _‘But the grip on life is more important’,_ she told herself, _'Or at least, it should be.'_  
  
Jeongyeon arrived in great hurried sprints, spattering snow to fly in all directions around her as she practically slid down to the lower valley. It was quite impressive that she was able to spot them from such a height gap between the two valleys. Chaeyoung had been the one to explain when Jeongyeon approached. The black-and-white beta kept her cool even with an obvious amount of concern highlighting her face. She instructed the two to shake themselves off as much as possible, then to follow her towards the main den. The trip heading back wasn’t fun. Wind ripped across their damp fur and easily penetrated their skins. Jeongyeon, who had been carrying the collected herbs out of courtesy, prompted them to stay inside while she dropped the bundle off at the medic’s den. Even inside, comforted with the soft lining of the den’s floor arranged by Sana, the two were quaking uncontrollably. They naturally sank into a corner of the den, sides pressed into one another for warmth.  
  
It was there, drowned in the tranquil silence, that Chaeyoung began to laugh again. Cold and miserable, Tzuyu didn’t think twice before joining her. Their soft mixed chuckles filled the air, and it wasn’t before long that a pent up curiosity within the younger delta slipped out. “Why did you do that?”  
  
“Why did I do what?” One of Chaeyoung's ear twitched.  
  
“Went down the ice for me. Why did you do that?”  
  
“You expect me to stay there and watch you drown?” Tzuyu shrugged. Chaeyoung’s gray eyes locked with hers but the older’s gaze was tender, not dour like she’d expected. “I was a little surprised that you didn’t know how to swim.”  
  
“City life never demanded it.”  
  
“Well, I guess that is reasonable.”  
  
“All I ever knew how to do was fight.” Tzuyu lowered her head and dropped her eyes to inspect her paws. “Never knew anything else until I got here.”  
  
“Doesn’t mean you can’t start learning.”  
  
“I know. You taught me a lot, Chaengie.”  
  
“Me?!” Chaeyoung staggered back, disbelieving.  
  
“Yes.” Tzuyu held her claim determinately through their locked eye-contact.  
  
“But I’m just…I don’t do anything.”  
  
“You’re Chaeyoung who does things exclusive to Chaeyoung, and the Chaeyoung I know loves knowledge. She pursues it until the end, never giving up when things get to her. She puts herself up to everything and always loves whatever she’s doing. I think I’m starting to love that too—learning with her and learning about her.”  
  
It didn’t take long for Chaeyoung to warm up, for her face was a scorching red when Tzuyu finished offering her two-cents. Her mouth was half-open. She blinked hard as if waiting for the younger to take back everything she just said—especially that last part—but nothing happened. Tzuyu matched her doubtful gaze with confidence, maintaining it long enough for the medic to sigh. It was nothing bad because Chaeyoung closed their distance even further, straining her whole neck to reach up and lay her chin on the top of Tzuyu's head. The younger leaned down and allowed her, knowing it would make both of them a little more at ease. She nuzzled gently into Chaeyoung’s neck, a gesture—the first one she had ever given and to the only wolf she would ever give it to—of pure affection.  
  
The medic breathed into her ears, whispering words too soft for Tzuyu’s heart to not twist by them. “Why me?”  
  
“Why not?” Tzuyu chuckled, apparently Chaeyoung had been reading her mind all along.  
  
“What’s so special about me?”  
  
“Everything.”  
  
“Liar.”  
  
"Well, did you lie when you called me pretty?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then, why would I lie about that?"  
  
"I don't know." Being pressed near the center of Chaeyoung's chest, Tzuyu heard her heart wreaking havoc. "It's a little sudden, that's all."  
  
"Oh, don't act like I never gave you any hints."  
  
Tzuyu had definitely been bolder than the average wolf, so that was an undeniable fact. "I don't know."  
  
"So, you're doubting me."  
  
"No, I—"  
  
“If you don’t love me back, Chaengie, that’s fine, you can just say that.” Tzuyu pouted and took up a whiny voice.  
  
Chaeyoung beamed, clear and genuine. “Oh, I wish I didn’t."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chaeng has dimples n mole bc i CANT HELP IT  
> her mole r like the ones on german shepherds, like that lil black spot on their cheek  
> anyways  
> a cozy n soft chap for the end of winter


End file.
